The Middle
by EmeraldGreen4Life
Summary: At the Akatsuki base, Pein and Konan have more to think about than ever. As winter approaches, life seems to be getting harder. Also, someone seems to be after Konan! "It's not good guys vs bad guys, it's humans against humans." R & R please!
1. Chapter 1

Konan stared out at the wide-spread city of Amegakure. She sighed, thinking back to her childhood. It was days like this, sunny and bright, that seemed to kick at her heart the most.

Although most people enjoyed this type of weather, she didn't. It was a day like this, perky and bright, that her parents had been killed on. This was why she enjoyed Amegakure's usual weather. She preferred the constant rain and mist that Amegakure usually had, compared to today's strange sun-filled aura.

To Konan's relief, the clouds started to darken. A few minutes later, rain started to pour. Happily, she tilted her head back, letting heaven's tears kiss her pale face.

After what seemed to be several minutes, Konan heard someone walk up behind her. She ignored the presence, continuing to focus solemnly on the rain.

"Konan." she heard a voice confront her. Glancing over her shoulder, Konan locked eyes with a ginger-haired boy with several piercings in his face. It was Pein.

"Yes?" she asked. Her apathetic voice seemed to echo throughout the small area where she sat. She had been sitting on a short cliff, trying to take her mind off of the constant stress of being the only girl in a ninja organization full of boys.

Pein spoke to her in a far-less apathetic tone. "You're going to catch a cold if you stay out here any longer. I'd prefer that you come back inside the base." he said to her.

Konan's heart fluttered when she heard the words escape Pein's mouth. Any time he showed a sign of worry for her, her heart skipped a beat. All throughout her childhood, she'd been treated nastily. Now that people cared about her, she treasured every kind word that was spoken in her direction.

"Okay." she answered simply. Getting up, she wringed out her soaking wet hair, as well as her Akatsuki robe. She pulled the soggy paper flower out of her hair, holding it carefully in her corpse-cold hands.

---

Pein watched as Konan pulled the ruined flower out of her shining dark-blue locks. He felt mad at himself, seeing as how he had caused the rain that had ruined it. As a result to his anger, the rain started to poor harder. Pein quickly brought back his own control of his emotions, temporarily stopping the rain.

He looked back to the flower. Konan was sheltering it with her hands. "I did that, didn't I?" he asked shamefully.

Konan's head shot up, a slightly shocked expression found its way to her face. "What do you mean" she asked.

Pein sighed, grabbing Konan's hands. He opened them, revealing the gob of wet paper that used to be a flower. "That" he retold.

Konan felt a strong blush grow onto her face. She hadn't remembered a time when Pein had held her hand, even if it was just to detach her grip from something. Her shocked expression quickly sunk into a sad one. "No. It was my fault. I'd been out in the rain for far too long." she told him.

Pein let go of Konan's hands, watching them rewrap around the flower. "But I had caused the rain." he told her.

Konan looked away from Pein's slightly frightening stare. "Yes, but you didn't know that I was outside. I should have let you know that I wasn't in my room like usual." she concurred.

Pein sighed, looking up at the darkened sky. "That doesn't matter either. I should check to see if anyone is outside before I let the rain fall." he said.

Konan's frown lightened a little. Once again, he was showing an unseen caring nature for her. "I suppose we both made a mistake." she proposed.

They had reached the Akatsuki base by now. Opening the door, both Pein and Konan walked in. Shivering, the two took off their robes, revealing their black, fishnet-covered clothing. They slung the clothing into a dirty clothes hamper.

Konan walked down the hallway, into her own bathroom. Konan quickly undressed herslef slinger her clothing onto a towel hanger. She set her ruined flower onto the bathroom sink.

Konan hopped into the shower, turning the hot water on all the way. After a few minutes, her wild shivering had stopped, and she was able to relax her achy body. She leaned against the shower walls and let her muscles stop twitching.

---

When Konan got out of the bathroom, she quickly walked back to her bedroom. She opened a box, pulling out a piece of paper. She sat down on her bed, then began to fold the item.

Konan knew the folds so well, she could do it with her eyes closed. So, that's what she did. She shut her eyes, letting the sounds of folding paper soothe her racing mind. That was one of the reasons that she liked origami so much; it was calming.

After a few minutes, Konan had finished her creation. Opening her eyes, she looked proudly at her creation. Not much time had been spent on it, because it was the easiest thing for her to make.

A new flower for her hair.

She smiled in as a signal of satisfaction for her creation, placing the white origami piece in her hair. Her hair, which was now dry, fell onto her face. She sighed, blowing it out. To her dismay, it fell back.

A knock came from the door, startling Konan a bit. She quickly got up, brushing her hair out of her face with her hands. Opening the door, she saw Pein standing there.

"Konan." he began. "It's your turn to make dinner tonight. Are you up to it, or do you not feel well enough? I can get Deidara to do it, if you'd prefer. " he asked, referring to the fact that she might have caught a cold today.

Konan brought her hand up to her forehead. She felt fine. "No, I can cook tonight." she told him.

Pein nodded. "Very well. Tell me if you develop a fever later." With that, Pein was gone.

Konan sighed. Once again, her heart thumped rapidly inside her chest. She dismissed it as a sign of nervousness for her own health.

---

Konan sat at the Akatsuki's large dinner table. She chewed her food quietly, not wanting to join the group's awkward conversation. She enjoyed listening to the others much more.

Sighing, Konan grabbed her plate and walked out of the dining room. None of the other members mentioned anything about it. They all knew where she was headed - Pein's room.

Each night that he was too busy with paperwork to eat in the dining room, Konan would take Pein's food into his room and eat dinner with him.

---

Konan knocked lightly on Pein's door. She heard him shout "come in". She carefully balanced both of their plates on one arm as she opened the door.

When Konan got in, she closed the door, seeing as how the boys in the dinner room were making too much noise. She saw Pein sitting at his desk, working on a large stack of paperwork. Konan silently walked over, setting Pein's plate of steak and vegetables on an open space on the desk.

Konan sat down in a chair next to Pein's own. She watched as he picked up his plate, taking a bite of steak and veggies. He then turned back to his paperwork.

Konan sat silently, wondering how to start a conversation. "What are you working on?" she asked.

Pein looked up at her, watching as she waited for a reply. "Just signing some paperwork about new businesses in Amegakure." he informed her.

"Oh." she answered plainly. Both of them took another bite of food. Konan watched happily as Pein finished his paperwork. She grinned, now they could talk.

"This is very good, Konan." said Pein.

Konan smiled. His approval was something that brought her joy. "Arigatou." she thanked him.

---

_Author's Note: What did you think? I've got more motivation than ever, so please review for tips or requests!_


	2. Paper Heart

_**Thank you for the one review I got from a good friend! Keep reading! Once again, requests would be gladly appreciated!**_

Konan sighed quietly. She and Pein had both finished their dinner, but she didn't want to leave Pein's room yet. She'd much rather be safe with Pein than alone and constantly afraid of everything.

"So," she began. "Do we have any upcoming missions planned?" she asked.

Pein shook his head. "Not for you and I. Deidara and Tobi will be leaving on an un-intentional distress mission later tonight, though." Pein stated.

Konan's attention had been caught. "An un-intentional distress mission? Where?" she asked.

Pein grabbed a balled-up piece of paper from his desk. He opened it up, revealing a crinkled map. He pointed to an area just outside of the Land of Rice Patties. "Here's the place." he said.

Konan stared at the details of the map. It was covered in large cliffs and jagged rock. "What's going on there?" she asked.

Pein pointed to one of the cliffs. "A few nin from Amegakure were sent here to destroy a rampaging monster. It's not a demon, so we assumed it would be relatively easy to kill. Apparently, it isn't as weak as we thought." he explained.

"And?" Konan asked.

"They were sent there yesterday, and were supposed to return early this morning. We're assuming that the monster has gotten the best of them."

Konan sighed. This time, it was out loud. "Do you think the nin will survive?" she asked. Usually, monsters weren't as powerful as a fully-trained squad.

Pein sighed. "Well, I can't really say until Deidara and Tobi come back." he said. Pein looked at the clock on the wall. "They should be leaving in a few minutes.

Konan frowned. She picked up a blank sheet of paper from Pein's desk and began to fold it. Her eyes drooped even lower, seeing as how the folding sounds seemed to calm her.

---

Pein sat back in his chair, watching as Konan did what she does best. It was most definitely a second nature to her, origami that is. She had always used it as a stress-reliever.

Every moment of the day, he could read her like a book. She wore her "paper heart" on her sleeve. She was usually either sad or apathetic, but she also showed happiness towards some of the other Akatsuki, including Pein himself.

Pein watched as Konan's tiny fingers carefully folded the paper. They were both silent, lost in the peaceful sounds of the origami creation being made. The sound of the other Akatsuki members had been temporarily blocked out by the two.

Pein closed his eyes. Like Konan, he was used to the sounds of an origami orchestra. Whenever they ran out of things to talk about, Konan would pick up a piece of paper and begin to fold it.

When the sound of paper against paper ceased, Pein opened his eyes. He grinned slightly, seeing the creation that sat in Konan's lap. Konan picked it up, handing her work-of-art to him.

It was a bird, a beautiful one too. It had wide-spread wings, and a small beak. It's feet were two perfectly bent triangles.

"It's nothing compared to Deidara's birds," began Konan. "But I still think it's lovely."

Pein grinned, handing the fragile bird back to Konan.

"As do I." he gingerly replied.

Konan wrapped her hands around the bird tenderly. She always treated every one of her pieces like a new-born infant, seeing as how they were made of one of the most fragile things a jutsu could use. She carefully set it on Pein's desk, hoping that he'd think of her when he saw it.

Moments later, a knock came at the door. The knob twisted, the door flew open, and in came Deidara, followed by Tobi. "Oh, uh, are we interrupting something, un?" asked Deidara.

Pein raised a hand as an answer. "Not at all. We were actually just discussing you-two's mission a few minutes ago. Is everything alright?" said Pein.

The two boys shook their heads. "No leader-san. We were just coming here to inform you of our departure, un." explained Deidara.

Pein nodded. "Very well then. I expect you to return no later than late tomorrow night. You are dismissed." said Pein.

The two men nodded. The door handle clicked behind them. Once again, the awkward sound of silence filled the room.

Konan stood up, taking up she and Pein's dinner plates. "I'll go clean up now, assuming that all of the boys have finished. Good night, Pein." she said.

"Good night, Konan." Pein said as the door closed.

When Konan closed the door, she felt a large blush rise to her cheeks. Whenever Pein said "good night" to her, or said "bless you" when she sneezed, Konan felt like she really was receiving a blessing from a god. Because, that's what he was considered to be in Amegakure -God.

She on the other hand, was called an angel. It warmed her heart when people called her that. The feeling of being considered inhumanly glorious, it sounded like a title that was far too great to achieve.

---

Konan scrubbed the dishes the way any woman would; with apathy and boredom. She didn't mind doing the cooking and cleaning, because it helped her feel needed. Sure, paper folding was a good stress-reliever, but it didn't get any work done. Whenever origami didn't seem like the right thing to do, Konan would clean her troubles away.

She scrubbed away at the already bleach-clean plate. She was so lost in thought, that she didn't notice the fact that all of the dishes were already sparkling-clean. This type of thing happened to her all of the time.

---

Konan sat in her bed, reading a book she'd bought recently. She was wearing a short, black night gown with black shorts underneath. She listened quietly as the rain poored.

She wasn't sure if it was true, but she had a theory. Pein always seemed to let the rain fall when she needed him to. Whenever she was sad, or wasn't feeling well, he would let the rain fall. Perhaps, he did it just for her.

End of chapter quote:

_"I wish I could cross my arms,_

_And cross your mind,_

_Because I believe, _

_That you fold your paper heart,_

_And wear it on your sleeve."_

_-Brave, Owl City_


	3. Please Don't Let Me Go

Konan awoke that morning to the soft touch of sunlight shining through her small bedroom window. Sure, she didn't like the sun, but at least it supplied her with warmth. Most of the Akatsuki were cold-feeling people. This especially applied to Pein, whose deva-path body didn't produce heat. At times, the world could naturally warm his skin, but usually, he was either cold or room temperature.

Konan's book hat she'd been reading last night laid on her lap. She picked it up, folding the page backwards to represent where she'd stopped. She sat it on her bedside table, careful not to crush the origami creatures that she had placed there.

After taking a quick shower, she headed into the kitchen. Konan knew far too well that she would need to make the Akatsuki's breakfast. She got out a few ingredients and began to cook.

_ _ _

As Konan set out the plates, she was careful not to set ones out for Tobi and Deidara. She looked at the shining plates, grimacing at how bright they were. It was a sign of how stressed she'd been in the previous day.

It brought pain to her eyes, seeing the number of plates decrease. As more and more Akatsuki members died, the brighter the platters shined. Today, only seven plates were set on the table.

Hen the guys all entered, breakfast was set. They sat where they usually sat. No one said a word when Konan exited the dining room with two plates.

_ _ _

Pein sighed, finishing his paperwork. He heard a knock on his door. It was soft and petite. Smiling for only a moment, he sat up in his chair. "Come in." he said quietly.

Pein felt joy run through the veins of Yahiko's body as Konan walked in. She really did deserve the title of "God's Angel". She was a beautiful creature surrounded by miles of hatred and sadness.

She quietly set Pein's breakfast on his desk, sitting down with her own plate. She walked as if she was floating. Her movements were always graceful, as if she'd never tripped a single time in her life.

They ate in silence for a while. After they'd finished though, they were both equally eager to talk to one another. The two had learned to find comfort in one another's presence.

Konan was the first to bring up the subject at hand. "Have you heard any news of Deidara and Tobi?" she asked worriedly. She treated the guys as if she was their mother, always checking up on things.

Pein shook his head in the direction that Konan wasn't hoping for. "Not yet. Some of our Anbu black-ops did say that they left the village safely, though." he informed her.

Konan frowned. "How long are you giving them to get back?" she asked.

Pein looked up at the clock. "If they're not back by midnight tonight, I'll send out a team of rescue ninja." he said.

Konan's frown sunk lower. She didn't think he could handle another team member dieing. They were her family. Well, at least the closest thing she had to one.

Pein, desperate to change Konan's sour mood, grabbed the bird that Konan had made for him yesterday. It had been sitting on his desk, making him smile whenever he looked at it. He set it in his right hand, while caressing it with his left.

Pein traced his finger around the paper wings. He showed her appreciation this way, by paying attention to her origami. He was one of the few people who truly saw how beautiful her art was. Pein thought that perhaps, if he showed her how much he appreciated the bird, that she'd be happier today.

Through the corner of his eye, Pein saw Konan's frown rise into a small smile. He fingered the creation some more, nearly giving himself a paper cut. That was something you had to be careful of when around Konan.

_ _ _

It was eleven p.m. now. Konan sat outside of the base, sitting on a frighteningly high ledge. It had become a habit that she'd developed from Pein, sitting upon high places that is. In fact, she almost did it more than Pein.

It was raining again tonight. Konan had taken the paper flower out of her hair, tucking it into her pocket. She'd neglected to tell Pein that she was outside, but that didn't matter. This was natural rain, not the type that Pein created.

Konan didn't mind the fact that she couldn't see anything, not to mention that ice-cold rain was pelting her like bullets. She preferred this, as apposed to waiting for Tobi and Deidara inside the base.

The rain was pouring so hard now, that Konan couldn't hear anything over the loud noise. She was being beaten by freezing rain in the dark, yet she was okay with that. 'What kind of an angel has no common sense?' she thought to herself.

Konan felt the chilling feeling of a tear run down her flushed cheek. She had far too many things running around in her head. After all, tomorrow was the anniversary of her parent's death.

She'd met many people who'd gone through this type of thing, but no one seemed to have a story that impacted their lives as much s she did. Pein's story was far worse than hers, but he blocked it all out. She, on the other hand, thought about it often.

A loud "whoosh" could barely be heard through the rain. Konan watched as Deidara and Tobi flew into the base on Deidara's giant clay bird. They didn't seem to notice her, so Konan didn't bother hiding her face.

Konan felt more tears run down her face. Not able to contain her sadness, Konan's tears turned into wild sobs. She pulled her knees to her chest, and hid her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook. Now she was cold, wet, and crying out in the dark.

Konan sat there for quite a while. She nearly fainted when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, shocked at what she saw.

There, out in the rain, was Pein. His rinnegan tainted eyes looked at her with worry. He had her by the shoulders.

"P-Pein . . ." Konan managed to get out. She felt another wave of tears run down her face.

"Konan, what are you doing out here?" asked Pein.

Konan wiped her eyes, not wanting Pein to see the tears. "I didn't want any of you to see." she choked out.

Pein took off his Akatsuki cloak, rapping it around Konan's shaky shoulders. "See what?" he asked.

Konan shivered. "See me crying." she murmured, looking down.

Pein sighed. "It's about tomorrow, isn't it?" he asked, helping her up. Konan didn't say anything, she just nodded.

She walked back into the base with Pein. The ginger-haired boy still had a hand on her shoulder, as if to guide her.

"You know, I'll be coming with you tomorrow." he told her.

Konan nodded, stopping at Pein's door. He was referring to the fact that she was going to visit her parent's gravesites tomorrow. "That means a lot to me, Pein." she said.

Pein nodded, opening his door. He almost shut it, but walked back out at the last second. He gathered Konan into a much-needed hug, breathing in her scent.

"Go take a shower, you must be freezing. Get some sleep tonight." he said, releasing her.

Konan nodded. She started of down the hallway. Once again, she heard Pein's voice call out to her.

"Konan?" called Pein.

Konan turned around. "Yes?" she asked.

Pein gave her a small smile. "Any time you start to cry, please don't hide. Just come to me." He told her.

_End of chapter quote:_

_I am not my own,_

_For I have been made new,_

_Please don't let me go,_

_I desperately need you.-Meteor Shower, Owl City_


	4. Rainbow Veins

**Konan's POV**

When I woke up the next morning, I didn't feel like getting out of bed. I was still cold from last night's incident, and I knew far too well what I'd have to face today. Pein was counting on me though, so I left my room anyway.

After a quick wash, I made my way into the kitchen. I made the Akatsuki breakfast, as usual. I didn't make one for myself, seeing as how today's planned events had caused me to lose my appetite.

After a while, a knock came at my door. I set down the origami sun that I was making, walking up to the door. I opened it, seeing as Pein's pale face stared back at me.

"Konan," he addressed me. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.

I looked down. "Yes. Just give me a moment." I told him.

I left the door open, so Pein could see what I was doing. I went over to a corner of my room, where a bouquet of different flowers sat. I picked it up, walking to the door. "Now I'm ready." I told him.

Pein nodded, stepping out of the way so that I could get out. When he made his sidestep, I saw a bouquet in his grip as well. He closed my door, knowing that Tobi liked to sneak in there when I was gone and play with my origami.

Pein and I walked down the hallway, side-by-side. We ignored the other Akatsuki that were watching television in the living room. I was sure that Pein had explained to them what we were doing today, but he hadn't told me so.

**Deidara's POV**

We all pretended not to see as Konan and Pein walked down the hallway. Pein had told us what they were doing today, so we didn't dare say a thing. This was a tough time for Konan, but we all pretended not to notice.

I noticed the flowers that they each held. Sense I was an artist, it was easy to read their feelings by the way they gripped their bouquets. Konan's pale knuckles rapped robotically around hers, showing that she was uncomfortable and upset. Pein's hands were wrapped casually around his, signifying that he was more worried about Konan than getting to their destination.

When they were gone, I let out a sigh of relief. Tobi's loud voice rang through my ears. "Senpai, is Konan-chan okay?" he asked.

I smirked. "Yes, Tobi. Konan-chan will be fine un. Just don't mention where they were today to her, okay un?" I asked.

I watched as Tobi shook his mask-covered head. "Okay, senpai. Tobi won't do that." he said.

**Pein's POV**

I sighed inwardly, glancing at Konan. She stared into space blankly, trying not to focus too hard. I walked close to her, making sure I'd be there if something happened.

Not many people were out today. A few children ran around, but they quickly ran off when I arrived. I didn't exactly scare kids, they were just afraid of what they did around me. To these kids, I wasn't just God, I was more like Santa Claus.

The parents of these children often told them that, like a god, I was always watching them. This is why most of the children in Amegakure were so obedient. The ones that had just ran off were probably afraid that one of them might accidentally harm the other, and that I would see it.

I looked back over at Konan, fingering the plastic on the bouquet that I held. She was still starring at nothing, a sad look on her face. 'Cheer up.' I thought as I watched her.

The other Akatsuki and I knew far too well that Konan was an emotional girl. She could act apathetic when she wanted to, but still be sad later. It didn't bother me though, because I'd always seen her as the stronger person when we were children.

**Regular POV**

Konan and Pein arrived at Amegakure's cemetery shortly. It was a gloomy place, but lots of flowers were sitting up against the tombstones. Many people visited their loved ones on this particular day.

After a short amount of time, they'd reached Konan's parent's graves. She and Pein both immediately knelt down, bowing as a sign of respect. Konan set her bouquet on her mother's headstone, while Pein set his on Konan's father's.

They now both sat on their knees. Pein, who's gaze Konan had been avoiding, looked over to her. "Konan?" he called out to her.

Konan looked up. "Yes?" she asked.

Pein swallowed a lump in his throat. "Would you like some privacy? I can go visit a few people around here if you'd prefer that." he asked.

Konan nodded. "Yes. I'll catch up with you in a few minutes." she murmured.

Pein got up, walking to another side of the graveyard. He bowed at certain headstones that he felt he needed to. Most of the people here were from the Second Shinobi World War.

** _ _ _**

Konan sighed, breathing heavily. She traced the corners of the stones with her fingers. Sighing, she read them carefully.

She didn't understand how people could kill one another like this. Sure, she killed people all the time, but it was usually in order to protect her village or other people. The war, though, had been started over nothing. So many lives had been lost, when none had to be.

Konan wiped away the tears that were forming in her eyes. The day that her parents had left for the war, when Konan was very little, they'd told her something. She kept this quote in the back of her head, always thinking about it.

_Flashback_

_Not old enough to understand life and death, a very young Konan clung to her mother and father's legs. "Don't go mama. Don't go daddy." she cried. _

_This strategy was useless, seeing as how she was clinging to two amazingly strong ninjas. They easily pried her off their legs, setting her on the ground. They each bent over, looking her in the eye. _

_"Konan," began the mother. The blue-haired woman was teary-eyed, like her daughter. "Daddy and I will come home soon. Can you remember something for us?" she asked. _

_It was an embarrassment for the woman, to cry in front of her daughter. Her voice kept cracking when she spoke. Her husband was only a little watery-eyed, but as emotionless as a rock if compared to his wife. _

_Konan took her thumb out of her mouth. She shook her head. "Uh-huh." she said. _

_The wife signaled for the husband to continue for her, too emotional to speak correctly. The husband grabbed the wife's hand. "No matter what might be the difference, race, skill, boy or girl, no one is a good guy, and no one is a bad guy. We're all equal people fighting against equal people." he said. _

_Konan tilted her head to the side, as if to show her confused feelings. "I don't understand." she said. _

_The husband and wife each grabbed one of Konan's hands. "It means, sweetie," They both began in unison. "It's not good guys verses bad guys, it's humans against humans." they said. _

_Konan felt her face squish together as each parent kissed a separate cheek. She felt the hands in her own pry off. She watched as her parents walked away, joining a huge group of marching nin. _

_"Wait!" cried Konan. She ran as fast as her tiny legs could carry her. "Momma! Daddy!" she shouted, pushing her way through the crowd. _

_Konan couldn't tell one uniform from the other, and eventually lost sight of her parents. She pushed her way out of the marching group, hoping to spot the two outside of it. "Momma! Daddy!" she was crying and screaming at the same time now. Still, there was no sight of her parents._

_End of Flashback_

Konan sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes. She stayed like that for several minutes, waiting for her tears to dry before she went to find Pein. When they did dry, she got up, ready to forget .

_End of Chapter Quote:_

_Cheer up, _

_And dry your damp eyes, _

_And Tell me when it rains,_

_And I'll blend up that rainbow above you,_

_And shoot it through your veins,_

_'Cause your heart has a lack of color,_

_And we should've known,_

_That We'd grow up sooner or later,_

_'Cause we spent all our free time alone._

_-Rainbow Veins, Owl City_

**Author's Note: As you may have noticed, each chapter contains a line or a couple of words from each song quote. The quote from the summary that I used, "It's not good guys vs. bad guys, it's humans against humans." is a quote that my good friend Benjamin came up with.**

**I was telling him about this story, and how it's based around that theory, but I couldn't quite word it right. After explaining it to him, he told me that. I loved the quote so much that I put it in the summary. In case you're wondering, his profile name is "kinxer". **


	5. Anymore

**Author's Note: Thanks for all my reviews for the last chapter! You guys finally get to read about some fighting in this chapter! I'm sorry it took so long! ^_^**

When Konan finally got up, there was dirt all over the knees of her Akatsuki uniform. She brushed it off, not wanting it to stain after a while. Besides, it was her turn to do the laundry at the Akatsuki base.

She walked up to Pein, who'd just bowed down before another headstone. "I'm finished." She said, staring up at the stars that weren't there anymore. The sky was whitish-blue, with the exception of all the fog.

Pein rose from his kneeling stance, looking her in the eyes. He nodded, starting off in a new direction. Like a lost child, she followed him.

Today was not a sunny day, but it was not raining either. The usual mist floated around Amegakure like smoke around a fire. You could hear as people came out of their houses, breathing in the always-most air. Children filled the streets, happily playing.

You might remember that children were often afraid of Pein. Well, when Konan was next to Pein, and she wasn't sad, people considered it alright to rejoice. Konan had earlier decided not to stay saddened anytime after their visitation, and she'd kept that golden rule. Now, happy people filled the streets, heading to markets or chatting happily.

Pein turned to Konan. "What would you like to do?" he asked. Konan looked a bit surprised. Even though Pein was not always focused on world domination, it wasn't often that he respected his free time.

Konan thought about it. "Let's just . . . walk." she purposed. It wasn't a suggestion, but more of a demand. Pein always did whatever Konan wanted to do, so there was no point in asking. This especially counted for the fact that Pein didn't have an idea.

The two ninja went silent for a few minutes, just walking. They didn't need to talk, because the sound of Ame's citizens were enough for them. Pein had always said that Amegakure's chatter was enough to talk for them.

The silence between the two ended when a little girl walked up to Konan, causing the two to stop in their tracks. "Hey, lady!" said the girl.

Konan looked down at the small girl who was tugging on her Akatsuki uniform. She had brown hair with choppy bangs, and was missing her front teeth. "Hey, lady?" called the girl again, louder.

Konan bent down to the girl's height. "Yes?" she asked.

The girl stuck her thumb in her mouth, but didn't stop talking. She held out a half-finished paper flower. "I tried to make a flower, but I think I messed it up. Can you help me with it?" she asked.

Konan, who was usually apathetic when using origami, smiled. "Of course, sweetie." she said.

Pein watched silently as Konan helped the girl to fold the rest of her origami flower. It came out beautifully, resembling Konan's flower in more ways than one. Pein grinned slightly as Konan set the flower in the girl's brown hair.

"There." said Konan. She grinned slightly. "Now we're both angels." she said.

Pein stared in awe as the little girl's face lit up. Her smile was overpowering, filling the air around the three with gratefulness. "Thank you, Konan-san!" she shouted. Before Konan could say anything, the girl ran off.

Konan rose to Pein's side, smiling the tiniest of smiles. She turned to him, looking at his curious face. "What's that for?" she asked.

"Hm?" he asked, not quite understanding her question.

"That face." said Konan. "What is that expression for?" she asked.

Pein smiled. "It's just . . . nice to see children interacting with Akatsuki members." He said, continuing to walk. Konan followed him. "Some children think we're frightening, but most don't consider you to be anything like that."

Konan fingered a lock of her blue hair. "What **do** they consider me to be?" she asked.

Pein breathed deeply through his nose. He closed his eyes, tilting his head backwards. "You know. They consider you to be an angel amongst devils, peace amongst violence. The people of Amegakure **know **that you're a peaceful person. I've never met a child who didn't think of you as someone to look up to." He explained.

Konan grinned slightly, but her Akatsuki collar hid it from Pein's view. He didn't need to see it though, because he could tell when she was and wasn't happy. It was far too easy for him.

After a few minutes of silence, Konan spoke. "What did Deidara and Tobi say about the monster last night?" she asked.

The mention of last night put Pein on alert. He kept his eyes closed. "The monster was already dead when they got there. Apparently, our ninjas had just been stalled, but they'd killed the creature." said Pein.

Konan sighed, relieved for her fellow citizens. "There was something odd they found, though." said Pein.

Konan's attention had been caught. "What?" she asked.

Pein sighed, opening his eyes and looking into Konan's. "This monster was half alive, and half made of wood." he explained.

Konan's eyes grew wide. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Pein kicked a rock in front of him. "This monster was a giant pig. They're native to the Village of Barbed Wire. The pig apparently had wooden limbs, which made him taller. The ends were also sharpened, so that they were like stakes."

Konan thought deeply. "But, in order for that to have been true, someone would have to . . ." she trailed off.

Pein finished for her. "Someone would've had to either saved the pig, or cut off its limbs on purpose." he finished

Konan swallowed. She twirled her hair in her hands. "Which would be more likely?"

Pein kicked another rock. "Deidara said that the ends of the pig's real limbs had been grossly and neglectfully sown back together, as if the person who did so didn't care much." he said. Breathing, he finished. "You can guess what that means."

Konan frowned. The sound of a loud "whoosh" caught both of their attention. They looked to the sky, where a giant clay bird was currently trying to land. On it, rod Tobi and Deidara.

As the bird landed, Pein and Konan ran up to the two. The crowd that was now gathering stepped back, knowing how dangerous Deidara's creations could be.

"Leader-sama," shouted Deidara. "Another giant beast has been spotted outside of Amegakure, in the forest. You two _must_ come with us, now!"

Pein nodded, watching as Konan was helped up. He then followed, the clay bird flapping it's wings wildly. The air seemed to grow heavier as they rose. Finally, they were flying through the foggy sky of Ame.

_ _ _

They'd been searching above the forest for five minutes, and no one had seen a thing. All four were worried that it was too foggy to see anything. The world bellow them was a large mass of blurs and smudges.

"Deidara," said Pein. "Land the bird. We need to search on foot if we're planning on finding this thing." he ordered.

Deidara sighed, aiming the bird towards the ground. They landed rather roughly, and Konan nearly fell off. She'd managed to stay on two feet, with the exception of having a hand on the birds back. The group of four jumped off.

Deidara made a hand signal. "Release." he said. A large cloud of smoke appeared. When it vanished, the bird was gone.

_ _ _

It had been five more minutes, and there was still no sign of the beast. It was still a bit foggy in the forest, so Tobi kept running into trees. They weren't progressing very much, and Pein knew that.

The ginger-haired boy stopped in his tracks, Konan and Deidara doing the same. Tobi had bumped into Deidara, scaring him a bit. "Sorry senpai." he murmured.

Pein looked around, the sound of insignificant animals filling the air. "We need to split up. I'll go north, Tobi will go east, Deidara, you'll go west, and Konan will go south. " he said.

The sound of a giggling snort came from Pein's right. It was Tobi, who was laughing through his orange mask. "What?!" he asked.

Tobi continued to giggle. "Tobi gets the joke!" he shouted.

Pein glared. "What joke?" he asked.

Tobi laughed once again, a hand on his chest. "Konan gets to go south, because her name means 'little south'! Tobi gets it! Tobi gets it!" shouted the boy.

Pein sighed, pushing back the urge to smack his forehead. "Just go, Tobi." he ordered. The boy nodded, running off in his direction. Deidara also headed off in his.

Pein turned to Konan, who'd been hiding a smile throughout Tobi's conversation. "Konan," he addressed her.

The girl stopped smiling, professionally looking at Pein. "Yes?" she asked.

"I want you to use the Dance of Shikigami to travel faster. If you find this monster, don't try to battle it yourself. Call for us, so we can all fight. I don't want you to get hurt." he ordered.

Konan, who's nose and below was covered by her collar, sunk deeper into her Akatsuki suit, trying to hide a frown. Sure, he was looking out for her, but she didn't want him to think that she was weak. "Yes, Pein." she agreed.

_ _ _

Pein watched respectively as Konan made a quick hand signal. A piece of her shoulder peeled off, turning white. Some more pieces blew off, until she had slowly become thousands of tiny pieces of paper. The paper blew off into the direction that Konan needed to go.

Pein sighed, looking around. He started off in his direction, running at a simple pace. He kept his eyes and ears out for anything that looked or sounded suspicious. He could practically tell how close this thing must be to them.

Suddenly, a loud shriek broke through the air around them. Pein stopped immediately, recognizing the voice. He had heard the voice shriek like that only a few times in his life.

It was Konan's.

_End of Chapter Quote:_

_I opened my eyes last night,_

_And saw you in the low lights,_

_Walking down by the bay,_

_On the shore, _

_Staring up at the stars,_

_That aren't there anymore. _

_- The Saltwater Room, Owl City_


	6. Lizard

**Author's Note: Thank you for all of the reviews I've been getting! I would like to say that I REALLY need some ideas. Perhaps someone could HELP ME WITH THAT!!! **

**Pein's POV**

"Pein!" came the voice that had screamed only seconds ago. It came from behind me, so I quickly swerved backwards, running in that direction. I ran faster than I thought possible, not even thinking about slowing down. If I was going to do anything, I was going to speed up.

As I ran, I felt a drop of water hit the top of my head. Three more hit me as I continued. In only a few seconds, it was pouring. Still, I didn't slow down in the least.

Although we had only been separated for a few minutes, Konan could easily be miles away. Not only was she whizzing through the air in her paper form with extreme speed, but we were both traveling in opposite directions. I wondered if she had obeyed me when I told her not to fight the beast alone.

As the grown got wetter, I found myself slipping in a puddle of mud. I fell on my knees, but quickly got up, ignoring the brown that covered my legs now. I continued my running, the sound of the rain encouraging me to go forward. "Pein!" I heard Konan's voice yell again.

I watched as two figures came in from opposite sides of me. At first, I thought they were animals, but a quick glance told me otherwise. It was Deidara and Tobi.

"Leader-sama! Leader-sama! That scream came from Konan!" I heard Tobi shout.

I ignored Captain Obvious as I continued to run. There was no point in wasting my much-needed breath on someone who knew little about how dangerous this situation was. I continued to run, occasionally slipping on the muddy ground.

Finally, I saw a group of paper butterflies flying towards us. They were getting wet, but I knew that wouldn't hurt Konan if she quickly returned to human form. Deidara, Tobi, and I skidded to a stop, mud staining our Akatsuki shoes.

I watched as the butterflies unfolded and began to layer themselves. Pretty soon, we had a full Konan in front of us. She was wet, and her paper flower was so soggy that it fell off of her head, into a pile of mud. She panted wildly, as if she'd been running for hours.

"What happened?" I asked, walking towards her. Tobi and Deidara followed.

Konan's golden eyes looked around frantically. "I was going around in my direction, when I saw the creature. It kept swatting at me, so I started to fly off. I knew I couldn't yell for help while in my paper form, so I changed back before I took off again." she panted out.

Just then, the ground began to shake. A loud sound came from behind Konan. I watched as Deidara shoved his hands in to the bag of clay, preparing to attack.

Just then, a loud roar shot through the air like a kunai through skin. I looked forward, watching as a giant lizard, nearly the size of the trees around us, began to run towards us. I noticed it was aimed at Konan in particular.

The giant lizard had a large, metal tail with some big spikes on the end. I watched as it reached us, swiping its tail at Konan. She quickly jumped out of the way, leaving a good-sized space for me to take aim with.

I quickly made a hand seal. I then rose my hand, watching as a few puddles of water on the ground molded together in the air, forming a giant shuriken. I used a big force of chakra to throw it at the lizard. It hit the beast, but unfortunately only ricocheted off of the lizard's metal tail, falling onto the ground. It melted back into regular water.

I heard a loud explosion come from my left. I looked over to find that Deidara had shot a few spider bombs at the lizard. When the smoke cleared, you could see large slabs of skin hanging off of the thing, but it **definitely** wasn't dead.

Once again, the creature lashed out at Konan. She sidestepped, too panicky to change completely into paper. She was, however, able to use it. I watched as some paper shot from out of her Akatsuki sleeves, forming into the shapes of kunai. They shot at the lizard, scraping across its face.

I watched as Tobi slipped on the muddy ground. Knowing we couldn't fight correctly when the ground was this slippery, I jumped up, into the trees. I was soon followed by the other three.

Unfortunately, it was even mistier up here. I couldn't see very well, but I wasn't able to activate my rinnegan to help it. Sighing, I tried to listen for the lizard.

It was then that I heard it. A sick warning sound of metal hitting flesh. I barely saw blood spatter against the wood below my feet. I heard a loud gasp.

I jumped from tree to tree frantically, searching for what had happened. I felt with my hands, but I couldn't find anything. Then, I saw her.

It was Konan. She was leaning against a tree, holding the right side of her stomach. There was a large amount of blood seeping through her fingers.

"Konan!" I shouted, running up to her. I looked at her worriedly. She stopped leaning against the tree, looking me in the eyes.

"I'm fine. It's tail just grazed me a bit is all. Quickly, let's get down there and kill it." she said with a firm voice. I heard a small break in the last word, as if she'd been holding something in.

I nodded, helping her down. When we were both on the ground, I heard another explosion. Tobi and Deidara were both battling the lizard again. The creature had large gashes everywhere, and his skin was hanging off in some places.

I glanced at his tail, enraged to find Konan's blood on the tip. It was slowly being washed off by the pouring rain. Angry, I summoned as much water as my chakra would let me, forming a huge shuriken. Using much of my strength, I threw it exactly where I wanted to.

At the non-armored area of the tail.

A sickening sound told me the story that I'd just written with my actions. I watched as the tail flung off of the beast, blood gushing from it. The beast collapsed, dead in seconds.

"Yay! We killed it!" shouted Tobi, jumping up and down. He hugged Deidara, but Deidara quickly shoved him off. It was then that I remembered the situation at hand.

Konan came up beside me. She grinned a bit. "Good job." she said to me.

I looked at her with gratitude. "Thank you." I murmured.

It was then that I saw it in her eyes. She moaned, grabbing the wound on her side. I watched as she blinked rapidly, as if her vision was blurring. Suddenly, her knees buckled.

Luckily, I was there to catch her. I took her in my arms, looking worriedly at her pale face. It was growing paler by the minute. "Konan!" I shouted.


	7. PuddleWonderful

Konan's pale eye-lids twitched as she dreamt.

**Konan's child-version's dream POV**

_"Konan, look at this!" I heard_ _Nagato shout. I looked over my shoulder, watching as the young boy took an empty jewelry case and opened and closed it repeatedly, holding it up to his mouth. _

_"Raw!"he shouted, opening and closing the case. He and I both really liked the clicking sound that those types of pretty boxes made when you shut them. _

_I giggled, Picking up another one that I found in a pile of rubble that we were digging through. This one was gray, with a silver clasp. I opened and closed it in front of my mouth too, just like Nagato. We laughed together, ignoring the scary sight around us. _

**Konan's POV**

I felt my heavy and numb eyes blink open. I sat up in the bed that someone had placed me in, looking around. I was in my own room, and it looked to be about six p.m. The sky outside was dark blue, and it was raining.

**Regular POV**

The rain was beating her small glass window with great force. Konan knew that it was probably very cold outside, finding herself shivering under the covers of her bed. It seemed as if the cold droplets were trying to get in, so that they could be with her.

This meant that Pein was worried about her.

Konan blinked, throwing the sheets off of her pale body. She was wearing the clothing that she usually wore under her Akatsuki uniform. Where her stomach would normally be was a bunch of bandages. She assumed this was from where Kakuzo, being watched by Pein, had stitched her wound.

Konan stretched, finding that this hurt her hip a bit. She rubbed the area, feeling that around fifteen stitches were there. Wincing again, she stepped off of the bed.

Carefully, she changed into a fresh set of clothing. The ones she'd been wearing were blood-stained and muddy. She knew that Pein hadn't let Kakuzu remove her shirt to clean her wounds more correctly, which made her grin.

After changing, Konan redid her messy hair. She put in a new white flower, remembering that her other one had fallen into the mud. This didn't bother her as much as it normally would.

A knock came at her bedroom door. Konan immediately went to it, turning the silver door-knob. She pulled the door open, sidestepping so that the person could come in.

"Konan," greeted Pein, a slightly relieved expression tainting his pale face. He walked in, looking around her dark room. "Are you feeling okay? I heard some stirring in your room, and I was afraid your stitches might've ripped." he said.

Konan watched as Pein sat down on her bed, seeing as how there were no seats in her room. "No, I'm fine. I was just changing into some fresh clothes." she reassured him.

The rain slowed to a small drizzle. Pein's expression relaxed a bit more. "Good. Are you feeling better?" he asked.

Konan shook her head. "Yes, much. My stitched area is a bit swore, but I suppose that's normal. Tell me, what happened after I . . . " she began.

Pein, who knew Konan did not want to talk about the earlier incident, explained. "We immediately returned to the base, and Kakuzu and I stitched your wound. We sent some anbu to retrieve the monster, so we expect them to return shortly."

Konan nodded, sitting down beside Pein. The room was silent for a while. Trying to avoid any more awkwardness, Konan reached for a piece of paper on her desk.

"Ack." Pein heard Konan whimper. Her hand immediately dropped the paper, holding her hips.

Pein looked at the girl worriedly. "Are you okay?" he asked caringly.

Konan looked up into Pein's gray eyes. "Oh, yeah. It just hurts a bit." she said, rubbing her side. She looked over to the paper she'd reached for.

"Can you hand me that?" she asked him. Pein, who wasn't usually asked to do much, nodded his head. He leaned over, grabbing the white sheet of paper.

He settled back into his sitting position, handing the paper to Konan. For just a moment, their fingers brushed. Both teens ignored the feeling, no matter how nice it was.

"Thank you, said Konan. She switched her position, leaning on one of her large pillows. She closed her eyes, not needing to look at the folds.

Pein watched as Konan settled into her large bedroom pillow, folding her paper in a petite way. Some people might have found this awkward, but he didn't. He simply laid down at the foot of the bed, closing his eyes and listening to the folds. Deep in his heart that technically wasn't his, Pein knew that Konan was doing the same.

"You know," he began, relaxing his mind. "It's getting colder here in Amegakure. In a few weeks, the rain will start turning into snow."

"Yes, I suppose it will." said Konan. Her folding stopped for a minute. Pein felt the mattress shift as Konan laid beside him.

The folding started up again. It massaged Pein's stressed mind, as well as Konan's. Just then, her voice filled the air.

"I suppose you like snow a bit, right?" she asked.

Konan opened her eyes, hiding the origami behind her back so that Pein couldn't see it. Pein opened his eyes as well, nodding. "I suppose so." he said.

The two closed their eyes again, the sound of origami being made helping them rest. "I mean, snow is a good weapon for you to use, you know? It's a solid, unlike regular water, so it packs more of a punch. This is the one time of the year when you can use snow with your water jutsu." said Konan.

"Yes, it is." he said. There was a long pause, before Pein's voice called out to Konan once more. "Do you like snow?" he asked her.

Konan stopped folding for a minute, contemplating on the question. "Sometimes." she answered.

Pein furrowed his eyebrows. "Like when?" he asked.

Konan continued her folding. "Well, I like the air when it snows. I like having fresh air to breath." she stated.

"What do you not like?" he asked.

Konan then stopped folding. "I suppose I don't like it when there's too much snow, like in Amegakure. We get a lot of snow here, so it's a bit annoying when you have to walk in it. It slows you down, and it's too cold." she said.

Konan could tell that Pein was nodding, because of the sound of her sheets ruffling near his head. Sighing, she reached for his hand, finding it immediately. She set her origami creation in his palm, watching as he looked at the beautiful shape.

A snowflake.

_End of Chapter Quote:_

_"When the world is puddle-wonderful," -A small line from the poem "In Spring, by E. E. Cummings. _


	8. Winter

**Author's Note: NO! I'm not dead! ^_^ I apologize for the late update! I've just been really busy!**

There was a long moment of silence. Konan took this as a chance to rest. She closed her eyes, ignoring the stinging in her stomach from her nasty wound.

_ _ _

Pein looked at the snowflake. It was beautiful, even though Konan had probably made a billion in her lifetime. Still, he couldn't help but find it amazing.

It wasn't the type of snowflake that children folded, then cut with scissors. No, this one was pure fold-after-fold of white paper. It had been pressed and twisted until the folds took their shape without unfolding on their own.

Knowing that the snowflake was now his, Pein set it beside his head. He looked to his side, seeing that Konan had closed her eyes. He made sure to be quiet as he sat up, looking around. Boy, was Konan's room a reflection of her true-self.

The place was covered in origami. Her shelves held books, documents, and scrolls. Origami creatures were sitting on a lot of the literature.

Sighing, Pein grabbed his snowflake. He slowly and silently crept out of the room. He made sure that he didn't make any noise when he closed Konan's door.

_ _ _

When Konan awoke, it was already raining. Pein probably hadn't started it. It was just natural rain.

If Pein no longer existed, then you'd find that Amegakure would get about as much rain as any other village. He was the reason why they were called "The Village Hidden in the Rain".

After going through her morning routine, Konan made the Akatsuki's breakfast. She made sure to make some for herself, seeing as how she hadn't eaten at all yesterday. That had become a problem recently.

Konan ate in the dining halls today, seeing as how Pein was eating in there as well. For the first time in a few days, all of the remaining Akatsuki were in the same room.

Surprisingly, the room was much less noisy then Konan had expected. Whenever a member had recently been injured on a mission, the rest of the Akatsuki remained silent for some time. This was something that the group had developed over time.

Konan picked at her breakfast, not very hungry in the first place. Sighing, she unwillingly shoved the food into her mouth little by little. Even though she hadn't eaten at all yesterday, she was still not very hungry.

Konan and Pein had both grown up always being hungry. Now that food was always available to them, Konan didn't eat that much at all. Apparently, her lack of eating in the past had developed into a form of anorexia later on. A lot of the time, Konan simply forgot that she even needed to.

At one point, it had gotten to the point in which Pein wouldn't let her go to sleep at night until she ate dinner. Eventually, she'd stopped that bad habit. She was no longer anorexic, but she still didn't eat that much.

"Deidara," began Tobi, unknowingly breaking the silence in the Akatsuki dining hall. "Is it going to snow today?" he asked the blonde.

The rest of the room turned to Deidara, who was angrily glaring at the masked boy next to him. "How should I know?!" Deidara replied furiously.

Tobi sunk back into his chair. "Tobi was just thinking-" he began, being cut of when Konan spoke.

"It shouldn't snow until next week." said Konan. Unlike Deidara, she was nice when speaking to Tobi.

Even though Tobi was wearing a mask, you could easily tell that he was smiling. When he smiled, his mask would move up a bit, being hung by his cheek bones. "Oh, okay Konan-chan!" he said happily.

Konan smiled back, lighting up the room for a small moment.

_Silence_

_ _ _

It was mid-day, and most of the Akatsuki were scattered around in the base. Some were in their rooms, others were in the living room, and a few were just walking around. They didn't ever seem to all be doing one thing.

Konan, who'd been quiet for quite some time, was sitting on a small chair in the living room. She was fiddling with a small piece of yellow paper that she'd found in her collecting of random pieces. The room was quiet, seeing as how the only other people in the room were Pein and Hidan.

She looked to Pein, who was simply watching her as she folded her origami. Hidan, who was sitting next to Pein on the couch, was buried in a Jashinist bible. He licked his thumb, sticking it to the page in order to flip it.

Konan sighed, walking over to the two. She sat down on Pein's side of the couch, which was long and round in case the rest of the Akatsuki were to sit with them. She leaned her head back onto the couch pillow, closing her eyes.

There was no need to see when she was folding.

Just as Konan finished, before she was able to show it to anyone, there came a loud and frantic knock at the large door of the base. Pein quickly rose, opening the door.

Konan also opened her eyes, standing up from her position on the couch. When Pein flung the door open, she was surprised to see an ANBU black-op standing there, panting heavily.

"Yes?" asked Pein.

The ANBU stopped panting, looking up at Pein. "There's been a disaster down at the Land of Rice Patties! Leader, you and Konan-sama have been asked by the head of the ANBU to come immediately!" he shouted loudly.

Pein wasted no time. He quickly dashed out the door, leaving Hidan in charge of the Akatsuki until his return. Konan also ran off with him, being forced to drop her origami to the room's floor.

_ _ _

Ten minutes later, when they'd reached their destination, what they saw was not good.

It had been a mass murder. Hundreds of bodies were spread across the ground like they'd grown there. Dozens of ANBU patrolled the area, looking for a sign of life. The ANBU leader walked up to Pein and Konan, bowing respectively.

"What has happened here?" asked Pein.

The ANBU shook his head. "We don't know, Leader-sama. An ANBU black-op was patrolling the area, when he came across this! There are hundreds of them, of all ages too! We've no idea what's happened!" said the man.

Pein sighed, looking around. "Alright. Konan-san and I will investigate some of the bodies and try to decipher what's happened. Have the rest of the ANBU continue what they are doing." ordered Pein.

Konan knew all-too-well that when Pein gave an order, it was done. No one ever disobeyed him, unless it was for a very important reason. Somehow, she found that she could respect him for this.

Pein tapped at Konan's shoulder, leaning his head in the direction he chose to go. He led her to an area with a smaller amount of bodies, crouching down to one of them. It was an adult male, with brown hair and pale skin.

Konan crouched down beside Pein, examining the body herself. "What do you see?" he asked her.

Konan leaned over a bit more, examining the body. She pressed a hand at the bodies neck, right where the pulse was supposed to be. She immediately shot her hand back. "The body is ice cold, but it's not even fifty-degrees out here." she said.

Pein pressed his own hand to the man's neck, also finding that the man was literally ice cold. "You're right. These bodies show little sign of decay also, so it's unlikely that they've been dead for more than a few hours. The man can't possibly have grown this cold simply from staying out here so long." he said.

"Root," called Pein, referring to the ANBU leader that was standing only a few yards away. The man turned to Pein, marching over to the two. He knelt down beside them.

"Yes?" he asked.

Pein looked the man in the eyes, despite the fact that one of them was covered with a patch. "These bodies are nearly-frozen, yet they couldn't have been out here for more than a few hours. Quickly, rive me the sharpest weapon you posses." he ordered.

Root dug in the pack on his back, pulling out an almost-foot-long knife. He turned it around, handing the knife to Pein. "Stand back." he said.

Root immediately stepped away, still watching Amegakure's leader. Knowing what he was about to do, Konan turned her head to the side. She listened to the sickening sound of metal sawing through flesh and bone.

"Well that's odd." said Pein. Konan, hearing the sickening sound stop, turned her attention back to Pein. She was shocked at what he saw.

He held part of the man's right arm in his hands. Strangely though, there was almost no blood leaking through the cut he'd made to break the arm off. Instead, the blood, as well as the rest of the arm, was nearly frozen solid.

_End of Chapter Quote:_

_"I don't have anyone at home to talk to,_

_And you don't have anything to do,_

_So I'll spend my Christmas with you."_

_-The Christmas Song, Owl City_


	9. All the World is Waiting for the Sun

**Author's Note: Hello people of the PeinxKonan fan world!!! I hope you've all had a merry Christmas!!! I'm sorry for the late update last time, so I'll try to keep on a normal schedule. I'd also like to thank Rheehemoth, who is my newest reviewer for this story. Check out her story, **_**A Cold Evening**_**, and her other stories if you're a DeidaraxOC fan!**

**Konan's POV**

We had stayed there for around thirty more minutes, examining a few more bodies. Each one had been frozen solid. Pein, who'd been rather quiet for the past half-hour, turned to me.

"Each of these bodies is completely frozen. There's definitely no doubt that whoever did this uses and ice based jutsu." He explained to me.

I nodded. "So, what do we do?" I asked.

Pein looked around at the bodies. He frowned, knowing what he was about to say would sadden me. "I'm afraid that these people will be eaten by animals and picked at by bugs if we do not burry them soon." he said.

I sighed, nodding. I attempted to sink down further into my Akatsuki cloak, which wasn't helping my shivering. I hoped Pein didn't notice that, but it was always hard to tell.

Pein sighed also. "We will have some ANBU take a few bodies back to Amegakure for dissection, but I'm afraid that we will have to quickly burry the rest of these people in large, ANBU-dug graves." he explained.

I nodded once again, understanding. My stomach churned as I thought of it. "Hundreds of people, unidentified and buried in unmarked graves; what a horrible way to spend eternity." I said aloud, my voice horse and shaky.

I was so quiet compared to other females.

I felt Pein's hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry about it, Konan. You know that if this wasn't such an abrupt and large group of fatalities, then I would have a better burial for these people. I just . . . can't do anything else." he apologized.

I nodded. "It's okay, Pein. I know you hate this decision just as much as I do." I said, looking away.

The presence of Pein's hand on my shoulder slowly went away. I tried not to listen as Pein gave the order that we'd discussed. Immediately, large holes in the ground were being dug.

These holes were not the size of normal graves. Each one was about the size of a bed. Eventually, the bodies would be stacked in the small spaces like books on a shelf. I knew though, that Pein would not have them put the bodies inside until after we'd both left. He knew just how much it hurt me to see this type of thing.

_ _ _

We were walking back from the murder sight. It was around seven-o-clock, and being winter, it was already very dark. Our path was lit by the lanterns that adorned the empty walkway back to the village. It was a long, winding stone road that was surrounded by a thick forest. The moon barely showed through the trees.

Pein kicked a stone, a little bored. It was raining now, so water droplets flew around when his foot grazed the pathway. We'd put our Akatsuki hats on, so that we could enjoy the rain without getting wet.

"I suppose you and I will have a mission soon, right?" I asked, knowing that it was right about time for us to participate in one. We didn't go on missions as much as the rest of the Akatsuki, but that didn't stop us from doing so.

Pein nodded. "Actually, you, Itachi, and I will all be leaving for a mission tomorrow night." he said.

Pein kicked another rock. "There's a village not far from here, which has sent me a letter which I received earlier this morning. There is apparently a monster let loose in their forest, and they've asked us to capture it. They don't have any ninja, so we'll have to do it by ourselves. It apparently only comes out at night." he said.

I nodded. "Alright then," I said. There was a moment of silence before I spoke again. "You know, I've been thinking more about snow lately."

Pein looked in my direction, rain bouncing off of his cone-shaped hat. "And?" he asked.

I looked up in the sky, barely able to see the stars because of all the rainclouds. "It seems kind of . . . unnecessary. The way people think it's so beautiful, I mean. After all, it's just frozen rain." I said.

Pein nodded. "That's what I've always thought." he agreed.

"I mean, people always say that they hate rain, because it's so dreary to them. Yet, people always say that snow is beautiful. It is very pretty, but I think that the rain deserves to be identified as beautiful. That's the way I've always seen the rain as." I said.

Pein nodded. "That's exactly what I think. You know, no one else seems to view the rain like that but you and I."

I shook my head as well. "I suppose that's just because of the way we grew up. I mean, when we were just roaming around Amegakure each day, we seemed to watch the rain a lot more than most people. We would try to decipher it." I said.

Pein smiled. "That's just about the only thing we did during our childhood." he said.

**Normal POV**

Konan's eyes narrowed. "Pein, did you see how many children were lying in that field earlier?" she asked.

Pein stopped dead in his tracks. "I suppose there were many." he said, afraid of where this might lead.

Konan stopped too, looking at him. "Do you ever think about how lucky we are, to have been wise enough to live throughout our childhood? All of those poor children were **dead**, and nothing can change that. We, on the other hand, were strong enough to do so."

Pein sighed, his eyebrows furrowed. "Yes, it was." he agreed.

Konan shivered, looking out into the forest. "Still . . . it's just . . . hard to believe. I mean . . . those poor children will **never **get to grow up. Besides, I'm sure there must've been some adults there that weren't with their children at the time. Their children will probably be emotionally-destroyed when they hear of all those deaths." she said.

It hurt Pein to hear how pained Konan's voice was. It was small and crackling, as if she was ready to cry. Desperate the stop this from happening, Pein spoke in the softest voice he owned.

"Don't speak like that, Konan. You know that those children won't do that. The people of that village are strong enough to know that we must not cling to those that are gone. They'll be healed eventually."

Konan sunk deeper into her cloak. She could feel the tears forming in her golden eyes. She turned her head to the side, continuing to walk back to the base. She bit her lip when the first tear fell.

"What about us, Pein?! We never healed! What if those children don't!" she shouted, furious.

**Pein's POV**

There it was, she had finally broken out in tears. I had seen this coming, but it shocked me never the less when I saw the drops running down her pale cheeks. When Konan cried, I felt like I was **bleeding**.

Overwhelmed, I grabbed her arm, stopping her from walking away. She fought back by pulling away, but I didn't let go. "Konan!" I said.

She turned to me, tears running down her face like rain. Speaking of which, my emotions were causing the rain to beat down harder. I knew that she couldn't speak when she cried very well, but her eyes already told me what she had to say. 'What is it?' they seemed to say.

Sighing, I did the first thing that popped in my mind. I gathered her in an awkward, tight hug. This caused both of our Akatsuki hats to fall off, splashing in the rain.

"We did heal." I said.

Konan had never been one to hug. When we were children, she didn't seem to like them very much. As we grew up though, she learned to like them.

At first, I thought that the rain had soaked through my cloak. It wasn't until I looked downward that I realized that Konan was crying into my shoulder. And so, I let her stay there, my hand on her back.

Konan used to cry alone when we were children. Unlike me, she didn't like the idea of other people seeing her cry. She usually only showed this side to me.

Here she was, in my arms, having her own miniature breakdown. What was I to do but be there for her? After all, who else did she have?

"Pein?" I heard her whisper. By now, she'd nearly stopped crying. We were both soaked with rain though, but that didn't seem to matter to either of us.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Thank you."

_End of Chapter Quote:_

_Rain, rain, go away,_

_Come again another day,_

_All the world is waiting for the sun,_

_Rain, rain, go away,_

_Come again another day,_

_All the world is waiting for the sun._

_-Rain, Breaking Benjamin_

**Author's Note: Okay! So, I decided that I wanted some fluff in this chappie! I'm not sure how I did, but I suppose you guys can tell me that!**


	10. Geisha Dreams

**Author's Note: I only received one review for my previous chapter, but whatever! Here's another one! I hope everyone had a great Christmas!**

**Konan's POV**

You couldn't imagine how I'd felt right now. It was some twisted form of sadness and breakage; something that wanted me gone. I felt as if the world had given me the chance of dying slowly or ending it now.

I'd **never** broken into tears this easily. In fact, Pein hadn't seen me cry but for a few times in our lives. He was always **bawling** when we were younger, but I didn't show anyone my emotions this easily. Something **had to be wrong. **

And so, I cried. I wept like my tears would supply the rain. My face pressed into Pein's shoulder, I sobbed wildly.

It had only been recently that I'd started to have little breakdowns. It was as if my body was trying to kill me. I was always sad, I never ate, and I was constantly hurting.

My Akatsuki cloak felt extremely heavy when soaked in the rain. The thing weighed about five pounds to start with, but now it seemed to weigh a **thousand**. I thought that perhaps, this was just my stress weighing down on me.

Sighing, I pulled away. I looked up at Pein with teary eyes. "Yes, we did heal." I agreed, flashing a small grin. Perhaps, forgetting would be the right thing to do.

Pein, whose worried eyes looked down at my own, nodded. He smiled too, trying to help. He picked up our soaked Akatsuki hats. "Let's get back to the base." he said.

I nodded. We continued walking, the rain pelting us. Hopefully, we would forget.

_ _ _

The next day, I awoke with another new feeling: guidance. Now I knew that I wasn't fighting this life alone. Pein was still there, even though I only saw Yahiko's face.

I went through my daily routine, folding a new flower for my hair at the end of it. I placed it on the right side of my head, where it always was.

That morning, I made the Akatsuki's breakfast. We sat at our long table, chatting amongst ourselves. Occasionally, you'd see a piece of food fly across the table.

Deidara, whom had been glaring angrily at Tobi for asking him so many useless questions, turned to Pein. "What missions are there to be done today?" he asked.

Pein swallowed the water that he'd taken a drink of. "Considering the fact that winter is coming, we are in a mad rush to get as much done as possible. Today, Itachi, Konan, and I will be hunting down another monster. You and Tobi will be helping with the building of a new set of apartments on the west side of Amegakure." he said.

Deidara nodded. Pein then continued. "Hidan and Kakuzu, you will be helping to dissect some of the bodies found yesterday in the Land of Rice Patties. Zetsu, you are in charge until we return." he said.

Zetsu nodded. Most of the Akatsuki considered it a great privilege to temporarily be in charge of the base in Pein's absence. Some, like Zetsu, didn't care.

Once again, Pein's voice filled the room. "Tomorrow, Konan, Deidara, and I will be on a mission having to do with a murderer in the Land of Tiger Lilies. Zetsu, you and Tobi will be the ones helping with the buildings then. The rest of you will be in charge of the base until our arrival."

_ _ _

"Are you ready?" asked Pein, leaning against my bedroom door. Itachi stood by his side.

I nodded. "Yes. I'm coming." I said, fixing the bun in my hair. I entered the hallway, walking with the two.

_ _ _

The walk hadn't taken us very long. We'd easily made it to the small, insignificant town in around ten minutes. From there, we entered the small forest surrounding the place.

We hopped from tree to tree, scouting the ground below for anything odd. We listened carefully, not wanting to risk being snuck up on. Pein **definitely **wasn't going to let us split up this time.

Even Itachi, whose sharingan was activated, couldn't see much. After all, the guy **was** going blind after all. If you asked me, I didn't think he deserved to even **be here**.

I had very little respect for Itachi. He had killed his entire family, as well as his lover, just because they were power-hungry. That problem could have been solved, but Itachi was _too blind to see that__**. (Pun!)**_

Life with a family is a blessing. If Itachi was willing to give that all away so easily, then he didn't even deserve to have a family in the first place. I could tell that one day, he was going to **die**. He was going to die before his brother ever found out about the real reason that he killed the clan.

Suddenly, Pein's hand moved in front of me, as if to tell me to stop. We three stopped on a large tree branch. "Look downward and be quiet." said Pein.

When I looked down, what I saw **stunned** me. It was a giant spider. It was nearly the size of two queen-sized beds. What **really** shocked me though was the ice coating it.

Yes, I said "ice". The spider's long, frightening legs were coated with little shards of the stuff. It shook as if it was being tortured.

I looked at Pein, as if asking what to do. He motioned for I and Itachi to stand back. With one swift jump, I was on the highest branch of the tree. Itachi was beside me.

Pein quickly made a few hand seals, jumping down to face the giant arachnid. Instantly, flames went the beast's way. Then something happened.

From the giant, head-sized fangs of the beast, shot water that quickly froze into ice. The spider shot it in a pattern that forced a small ice-made wall to protect the thing from Pein's fire.

The spider let out a loud shriek, the ice wall that it had made melting from the heat that the fire had caused. Its eight eyes looked up into the trees, and then back at Pein. And then it pounced . . .

. . . straight at me.

_End of Chapter Quote:_

_Ichigi, Ichigo,_

_All alone in Tokyo,_

_Can't you see? _

_Don't you know? _

_They've got nowhere else to go,_

_Ichigi, Ichigo,_

_Far away from Tokyo,_

_They believe in geisha dreams. _


	11. Be Steady

My first intension was to jump, but I then realized that I was at the top of a tree that had little trees surrounding it. While we were in a largely wooded area, this one tree didn't have any near enough to where I was guaranteed a safe jump. Considering the fact that I only had half a second to decide what to do, my next move was decided for me.

I was hit dead on.

The spider hadn't bitten me, but had knocked me to the ground. While in the air, all I could see was the giant spider, ready to pounce when I hit the dirt. If I landed on my feet, then the spider would squish me, but if I didn't land on my feet, then I'd be knocked unconscious.

At the last second, before the grass could touch my Akatsuki cloak, I saw a flash of orange, black, and red pass by me. I then realized that it was Pein, who'd grabbed my wrist while I was still flying through the air. We both landed on our feet, next to Itachi, who'd jumped to the ground.

When I looked up at the spider, it was ready to pounce again. It let out another loud hiss, and then shot that weird water at all of us from its fangs. Immediately, the water froze into ice in mid-air.

We all sidestepped before the ice could hit us, which made the spider very angry. As Pein and Itachi tried to hold it off with fire, I made a hand-seal of my own. Afterwards, paper shuriken and kunai shot from my sleeves.

Itachi continued to hit the beast with his fire, while Pein switched to a wind jutsu. He helped to make my paper weapons go faster, so that they'd hit the beast like real shuriken and kunai. The spider was too distracted with Itachi to see what we were doing.

_Hack!_

The weapons hit the spider with great force. Icy blood spurt from the arachnid. It let out a loud scream, hitting the ground.

Pein and Itachi finished the beast off. Itachi used a fire jutsu to burn the body, and then Pein used a water jutsu to put out the fire once the spider was just a smoldering heap on the ground. Afterwards, the entire woods smelled **horrible**.

"Itachi," began Pein. The raven-haired boy turned to Pein, nodding for him to continue. "Go tell the leader of this village that the spider has been destroyed. You will find him in the largest building, in the center of the village. Konan and I will go ahead and head home." he ordered.

Itachi nodded, running off. This left Pein and I to walk back, on our own. As we drowned in our own pool of silence, we paid no attention to the animal noises that the woods supplied us with.

_ _ _

"Konan," Pein called out to me. I turned to look at him, his pale face shining in the small amount of lighting that the lanterns on the side of the road gave us.

"Yes?" I asked, fingering my hair.

"Tomorrow night, you, Deidara, and I will all be going on a mission here again. This involves a series of murders of geisha in this area." he explained to me.

I nodded. "Which type of geisha is this?" I asked.

"The murders are ones of entertainment geisha only, not prostitution geisha. That is illegal around Amegakure and its surrounding villages." he said.

I sighed, looking up at the stars. They shined brightly where we were. "So, what will **we **be doing?" I asked.

Pein looked up at the stars also. "You will be disguised as a geisha, staying in the room that the dancing, singing, and music playing will be. Deidara and I will be watching from the ceiling. This killer is supposed to strike women when they walk outside of the building, so Deidara and I will follow you from the rooftops until something happens."

I nodded, understanding. "What about the other geisha?" I asked.

"The other geisha are well-aware of the situation. We have arranged for them all to stay inside of the room, leaving you the only geisha-dressed girl to be outside. This way, you will be the main target." he said.

I nodded. "What am I to wear? I don't own a kimono, or the makeup that I will need." I asked.

Pein closed his eyes, now walking without looking in front of him. "When Itachi reaches the leader, he will be given a box containing the makeup, kimono, and such." he informed me.

Now, we'd reached the base.

_ _ _

The first thing I'd done when get into the base, was take a shower. I couldn't seem to get that horrible feeling off. You know that feeling you get when a spider crawls up your leg? Well, it's like that, but a million times worse.

When I'd gotten out of the shower, the box of geisha things sat on my bed. I sat down beside it, going through the stuff. The first thing I saw was the kimono.

I had to admit, it was **gorgeous**. It was a blue kimono, with a layer of white fabric at the end of each fold. There were cream, light blue, purple, and pink colored flower patterns running down it. The obi was also cream-colored, with a small landscape stitched on it.

**(Note! You can find the picture of this kimono on my profile, if you want to picture it better!)**

Also in the box was a light-purple flower that I could put in my hair. There was a pack of white makeup that I could put on, along with the red lipstick and blue eye shadow. There were instructions on how to put the makeup on in the box also.

To bring the whole thing together, there were cream-colored shoes at the bottom. I suppose the outfit wouldn't be complete without those shoes. I wondered how the geisha house had known what my shoe-size was.

_End of Chapter Quote: _

"_He wants me to be steady, like the river. But, it's not steady at all." _

_-Pocahontas_


	12. Boats and Birds

**Author's Note: Hi! Thank you for the review(s) I got! Anyway, if you guys have any requests or ideas, PLEASE PM ME OR TELL ME IN THE REVIEW!!!**

**Konan's POV**

When I awoke the next morning, it was raining. This **was** Pein's rain, but I could tell that he wasn't upset or angry at anything. Sometimes, when he or I wasn't able to sleep, he'd let the rain fall to help.

I'd had a conversation with him once, about why the rain helped us fall asleep. He and I both agreed that growing up while it rained every day had caused it. When we were wandering around during childhood each day, we mainly only slept when it rained.

_ _ _

During breakfast, I asked Pein more about our mission. "What time will we be leaving for the mission today?" I asked.

I watched as he opened his eyes a bit wider. I could tell that he was tired, because he was resting his head on his hand, and his eyes were droopy like mine always were. "We will be leaving at seven-o-clock, and we will get there at eight." he said.

I nodded, taking a bite of my pancake. It would take me around two hours to get ready, considering the fact that I wasn't exactly a "professional" at putting on geisha makeup or doing my hair in that way. Still, it wouldn't be **too** much of a problem. I had put on similar disguises a few times before.

_ _ _

I was in my room, starting to get ready for the mission. I had locked my door, making sure that no one walked in on me. I put on my kimono first, tying the obi in order to finish it.

Next, I did my hair. I put in up in its normal way, but I tried to make it neater. I put shiny silver chopsticks in the bun, and then put the purple flower I'd been given on the right side of my head.

Lastly, I did my makeup. This took the longest amount of time, because a geisha has makeup on every inch of revealed skin. The only place that the makeup isn't supposed to be is on a small area on the back of the neck.

I also had to apply thick mascara and blue eye shadow. This added a hint of fierceness to my eyes. I then put on bright red lipstick, giving some elegance to the look.

I put on my cream-colored shoes, and then looked into the full-body mirror in my bathroom. I was stunned at what I saw. I could hardly recognize myself. This made me wonder how different other geisha looked compared to their true selves.

_ _ _

**Pein's POV**

I knocked on Konan's door, the wood echoing throughout the hall. "Coming." she said from the other side of the door. I heard footsteps come my way.

The door unlocked, the knob was twisted, and I looked up. What I saw was shocking. Konan was dressed in her kimono, which was very beautiful to me. Her white, makeup covered face stared back at me. Unusually, she had a real, purple flower in her hair.

She smiled lightly, so I smiled back. "I look ridiculous." she said.

I shook my head. "You look beautiful. Come on, let's go find Deidara. We need to leave soon." he said.

_ _ _

**Normal POV**

Konan lingered for just a moment, hiding a blush behind all of that white makeup. She couldn't remember the last time that someone had called her beautiful. Realizing her sudden pause, she followed Pein.

When Pein and Konan entered the Akatsuki living room, Deidara and Tobi were there. Of course, Tobi was the first one to speak. "Konan-chan! I almost didn't recognize you!" he said.

Konan smiled. "Good. That means the disguise is working." she said.

Pein then spoke. "Deidara, we need to leave now. Are you prepared?" he asked.

Deidara nodded, standing up from his spot on the sofa. He took his two clay packs from the coffee table, tying them around his torso. He walked out of the door, being followed by Pein and Konan.

_ _ _

Konan was . . . slightly frustrated. She was told to keep away from water, because the geisha makeup was **very **delicate. This was difficult, seeing as how she was in Amegakure while it was raining.

Before they left, she grabbed an umbrella. She had only used it once before, considering it was a very fancy one, which she'd seen many geisha holding before. It was pink, with black swirls and flower patterns coating the edges.

**Konan's POV**

Now, I was walking in the middle of a foggy, stone road. Once again, the stars and dying lanterns were the only things that lit my way. Deidara and Pein were hopping from the trees around me, so that no one knew that they were here.

Checking to see if anyone was around, Pein jumped down, next to me. "Would you prefer if I stopped the rain? It's not caused by me, but you know that I could stop it if you like." he said.

I shook my head from under the umbrella. "No, I don't want you to waste any energy. Besides, I don't need to worry about the rain. What I need to worry about is how walking in these shoes for an hour will affect my feet." I joked.

He smiled, nodding. I watched as he jumped back into a tree, one on the opposite side of the road than Deidara. I sighed, continuing to walk in that ridiculously heavy outfit.

I breathed in the fresh, cold air that I so much as worshiped. It brought the slightest of colors to my now white face, to breathe in something as common as air and to still respect it so much. I thought of **nothing** as wonderful as cold air and rain. Now that I was in an area with both, I could smile.

Maybe, Pein saw me smiling. If he did, then I bet he smiled too.

_End of Chapter Quote:_

_If you'll be my star,_

_I'll be your sky, _

_You can hide underneath me,_

_And come out at night,_

_When I turn jet black, _

_And you show of your light,_

_I live to let you shine,_

_I live to let you shine. _

_-Boats and Birds, by Gregory and the Hawk_


	13. Start Running

We'd gotten to the village an hour later. My feet were killing me, but I didn't dare complain. What kind of a kunoichi would I be if I complained of walking?

By now, the rain had stopped. I still held my umbrella above my head, because I'd seen geisha do that. It was supposed to look . . . elegant.

I had to admit, this village **was** beautiful. People seemed to hang lanterns back up in harmony with my footsteps, re-lighting them. The water-tinted place shined brightly, along with the stars in the sky.

I looked up, watching as dark shadows hopped from building-to-building. These were Pein and Deidara, who watched me with protectiveness. They weren't the only ones watching though.

For once in quite a while, the people that were looking at me did not recognize me as "Amegakure's Angel". Instead, I was just a beautiful geisha who was **carelessly** walking alone in the streets.

Eventually, I'd reached the geisha house hidden in the center of the village. I walked through the back, Pein and Deidara sneaking in with me. When in there, I saw a all of the geisha.

They all looked similar to one another. Their ghost-like faces stared at us with curiosity. One, the tallest on as a matter of fact, came up to us, bowing.

We bowed back.

When she rose, she spoke in a deep, Amazonian-like voice. "My dearest respects to the Akatsuki. We are deeply blessed for you help in this desperate situation." she said.

Pein stepped beside me. "We are more than willing to do this for a neighboring village. I can assure you that we will not let this man harm another person again." said Pein.

The woman nodded. Then she looked at me, bowing once again. "Lady Konan, I have heard much about you. We are blessed to have you here." she said.

I smiled, nodding. Pein then spoke. "Let's go over our plans." he said. The girls nodded.

"So, Konan will just sit around, acting like she's learning your routines. When the performances are all over, you all will stay in while Deidara watches from the ceiling, just in case the man stays inside the building. Meanwhile, Konan will be walking outside, like most of the attacks. I will be watching from the rooftops there." he said.

I think I heard the whole room let out a sigh of relief, knowing that we three would not let anything happen to them. I was glad that I would be the most-likely to be attacked, even though that left me with the most-dangerous part in this mission. Even so, I knew that I could take care of myself.

Pein continued to talk. "We don't plan to kill these men immediately. We'd like to get some information out of them, such as names. We are also striving to understand the purpose of these killings." he said.

**Normal POV**

A few of the geisha scampered away, murmuring things to one another. Konan then turned to Pein, whose grey, ringed eyes showed worry for her. Konan's own eyes, more gentle and caring, seemed to tell him not to worry.

"Konan, he said to her. She nodded, telling him to continue. "Be careful during tonight's mission. We have reason to believe that he is a shinobi, and that he **could** be bringing more men tonight." he said.

Konan swallowed a lump in her throat. "Do you think that if there is more than one man, that they might try to harm geisha in the geisha house, instead of following me, like our plan includes?" she asked.

Pein shook his head. "It's not likely. These men like to take on one woman at once, and they always **hunt** at outside. The girls will be fine in there with Deidara. The only person's safety we need to worry about is you." he said.

Konan sighed. She was actually worried about this situation. She **hated** when women were taken advantage of, so perhaps, she'd be able to obtain revenge for the recent killings. Besides, she was **sure** that they were doing more than **killing** them.

_ _ _

When the performances were taking place, Konan was told to sit on the corner of the stage, and to wave a fan in front of her face flirtatiously. This made her look as if she was watching the geisha's dancing and singing routines, in order to learn them.

While Konan sat there, six men that were sitting in the back kept on looking at her. She was a bit uncomfortable with it, but she pretended not to notice. If these were the men or man that kept on hunting down these girls, then she needed to make sure that they had **no** idea that she was actually a kunoichi.

When the performance was over, Konan glanced upward for a few seconds. She saw Pein and Deidara, sitting in the shadows of the wooden planks on the ceiling. Pein seemed to tell her with his eyes, that now was the time.

Konan pretended not to notice as Pein carefully hopped down, without anyone else seeing. He wiggled his way through the small crowd of people. When passing the six men, he was extremely cautious. This gave Konan the signal that he also was suspicious of the men.

Now, it was Konan's turn. As the rest of the geisha slid into the dressing room, Deidara following, she made her exit. When she was out in the late-fall night, the cold hit her like a bullet.

She could just barely tell that Pein was following her. He carefully leapt from building top to building top, not even a shadow casting from the bright lanterns that hung from their poles. It wasn't until she hit a part of the village with no lanterns, that she began to hear footsteps behind her.

It was a fake case of fight or flight. Konan purely pretended to get panicky, deliberately trying to increase her breath and constantly look behind her. Each time she did so, the footsteps would stop.

Konan sighed inwardly, knowing that now was the time. She turned around, preparing for the largest case of one-person theatre that she'd ever shown. Hopefully, she was a good actress.

"Hello?" she asked a fake tinge of panic hanging from the very edge of her womanly voice. She had a deep voice for her age. When she received no answer, she called again. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

She sighed, turning around. She continued to walk, even though her toes were **burning** from the uncomfortable, tiny shoes that she wore. It was then, that it happened.

An icy hand gripped her by the shoulder. She let out a gasp as she was slammed into a wall, another set of hands grabbing her by the wrists. A man, two fingernail-made scars running down his cheek, almost stabbed her with a small hand-knife.

That is, before Pein ripped a hole through his chest.

_End of Chapter Quote:_

"_An artist once told me that the world is my canvas._

_Another artist told me that I need to cover the entire piece of artwork with color._

_If that's the case, then I better start running."_

_-Me_


	14. Fire

A sickening crack echoed through the alleyway as Pein's chakra-filled hand went straight through the man's chest. Broken bones punctured major organs as Pein wrapped his hand around the rim of the opening he'd made, using that grip to sling the man's shell-of-a-body into the opposite wall. Rinnegan tainted his eyes as Pein angrily stabbed the man who had me by my wrists with a kunai. The man turned around, only to be stabbed again.

When I was sure both men were dead, I examined the area around Pein and I. There were four more men to go, meaning that all six of the men that I'd seen earlier were indeed the attackers. It's sad, how obvious things can be.

Suddenly, two of the men bolted off, running as fast as a bijuu. For less than a second, I received a glance from Pein. His eyes told me to go after them, so that's what I did. With one swift hand sign, my shoulder started to peel off. Pretty soon, I was blazing through the streets in the form of a swarm of tiny paper butterflies.

I followed the running men, knowing that this was most-likely going to get me into trouble. I'd been separated from Pein, which wasn't a good idea in the least. Still, we couldn't let these men go.

I knew that I was going to have to kill these men, while Pein killed one of the others and tortured another. Like he'd told me, we needed to have one man to get information out of. We would eventually kill the man that Pein chose to keep alive a bit longer, once we knew all that we needed to know.

The men ran out of the village, into the cold and damp forest that surrounded it. I tripped a few times, mud staining the once-gorgeous kimono that I'd been wearing. No, elegance never lasted on me.

They finally stopped in a small, tree-less, grassy area in the middle of the forest. I stopped, letting my paper butterflies unfold and stack upon each other until I had changed into my paper-self. I looked the men in the eyes as they stared back at me.

Tired of their emotionless glances, I made a hand sign. Immediately, a large group of paper planes shot from my long, blue sleeves. Like daggers, they were sent towards the two men. Without Pein's wind, they were a bit slower than normal, but still dangerous. Unfortunately, something happened that I did not expect.

The men raised their pale fingers to their chapped lips, and then blue. To my surprise, flames shot from their mouths like lava from a volcano. They hit my planes, burning them to a crisp.

I gasped.

_ _ _

**Pein's POV**

_ _ _

I sighed, turning to the two men that I'd been left to fend against. I'd need to kill one, and then injure the other. In order to make sure that one of them begged for mercy and told me what I needed to know, I'd have to gruesomely kill the other.

Hopefully, I'd be able to handle both of them with ease. I was a bit worried, considering the fact that Konan and I had just had to split up. We were a team, one which was never as good when not together. I remember that each time we'd fought without one another, it was usually more difficult.

I made a hand sign, raising my fists into the air. I brought water that had been trapped on the ground up into the sky, forming a **huge** shuriken. I then switched to a wind jutsu, pushing the shuriken towards one of the men.

To my surprise, the two men **both** shot fire from their mouths, larger than one that Itachi could produce. They shot at my shuriken, causing it to evaporate into steam, rising to the skies above our heads.

'Wait.' I said to myself. 'If both of these men have a fire jutsu, then that means . . .'

My eyes went wide.

_ _ _

**Konan's POV**

I nearly fainted from shock and fear when I realized what I'd gotten into. This entire time, I played the pawn in a sick a game that neither Pein nor I were aware that we'd been playing. I'd been lead straight into a trap.

The other two men that we'd killed were just to fool us into thinking that these men didn't know any jutsus. Then, they'd split Pein and I apart, leading me **far** away from anyone that could help me. They'd lead me into a dark, thick forest where I couldn't run for help.

And now, they'd revealed their powers, _Fire_. All of my jutsus were paper-based. Without my paper, I was useless. Now, I had two choices.

To be burnt to a crisp painfully, or to be hunted down and **then** killed, possibly being assaulted first.

A smirk settled on each of their ugly, blood-covered faces. Without a second thought, I turned my paper jutsu off and **ran**. Within seconds, I could hear the following me.

"Pein!" I shouted, my breathing already being affected by my sudden movements. My stomach hurt now, from the stitches that were supposed to be taken out in only a few days. I could tell that he wouldn't be able to hear me.

"Pein!" I shouted again, trying to run faster than my limits. Sighing, I quickly threw my annoying, wooden shoes off. Now, I would only be limited by the pain in my stomach and the pain that would eventually gather at the bottom of my feet.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp, stinging sensation on my hip. Yes, the same hip that had been injured only a few days ago. I stumbled, grabbing at the area. A sticky, wet substance immediately coated my pale fingers.

_Blood_

"Pein!" I shouted again, tripping and landing on my side. I'd accidentally stepped on the skirt of my kimono, causing it to rip at the thighs, revealing my pale legs. I screeched in agony, tears running down my cheeks. Yes, I was going to die here.

The two men then stopped at my feet, looking down at me. One laughed, while the other smirked and tried not to. They forcefully pulled me up, slamming me into a tree.

I tried to escape their grip, wanting to grab my hip as the pain from the kunai that they'd hit me with caused large amounts of blood to cover my right side. My stitches must have opened up, along with a new injury. One of them had me by the wrists, while the other tried to untie my obi.

Frustrated, he took the kunai out of my hip, causing me to scream again. He used it to cut through the obi, throwing it to the ground. Luckily, I had more clothing, a black shirt and shorts to be exact.

"Pein!" I shouted one more time, my voice now horse and scared. Once again, nothing happened. Then, right before I finally gave up, something happened.

It started to rain.

I saw a flash of red, black, and orange, then saw the man who was fiddling with my kimono fall to the ground. I further examination showed that he had a hole going straight threw his side. Then, I saw Pein slug a whole straight through the other man's jaw, teeth and blood flying everywhere. He ripped his hand from the man's mouth, looking back at me.


	15. Will Be Loved

**Author's Note: Well, thank you for the NO REVIEWS that I received. If a review for the previous chapter comes out after this is updated and I don't know about it, then I apologize. **

**IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! REALLY IMPORTANT! LOOK OVER HERE AND READ THIS!!!! Okay, so, I'd like ANY of you that can to leave a recommendation or request for any future chapters. This can involve fluff, missions, or anything else you like. **

Pein, who'd only arrived at the scene moments ago, couldn't believe what he saw. Konan looked helpless leaning up against that tree, bleeding. She had tears running down her pale cheeks and her eyes were closed in both embarrassment and pain.

Her beautiful kimono was ruined. It had somehow been ripped at the knees, completely tearing off in some place that they weren't around. Her pale, cold knees glowed in the moonlight. Her flower had fallen out somewhere, her feet were bear, and her makeup, excluding whatever was on her eyes, had washed off from the rain and the tears.

Her kimono was open, her obi ripped and lying on the ground. She had a black shirt and black shorts underneath it, knowing that this might happen. She had a small injury on her hip, from where the kunai had stabbed her and ripped open most of the stitches that had originally been there. She had blood running down her side, dripping all the way to her leg.

"Konan!" said Pein, running to her side. He took her by the shoulders, looking down at her. He hugged her tightly, breathing in the smell of lavender mixed with blood and tears.

He wiped a tear from her mascara-smudged eye with his thumb. Even this badly hurt and upset, she was still an angel. This was all his fault and he'd almost gotten there too late.

He looked back up at her. "How badly are you hurt?" he asked.

Konan backed away. "I'm fine; it's not as bad as it looks. I won't need immediate medical attention, just a few bandages to hold me until we make our trip back to Amegakure." she assured him.

Pein looked her over. She had taken a beating and nearly lost her pride, and it was all because of a reckless strategy that he'd ordered. He had a feeling that she was lying about the pain, but he decided not to test her patience.

For the next seven minutes, Pein rested against a tree as Konan wrapped special gauze around her stomach and hip. "Are you sure you don't need help?" asked Pein, avoiding to look in her direction so that she knew that he was respecting her privacy.

Konan winced as she tied the knot that she'd just made, temporarily securing the wrappings. "No, I just finished." she said, dusting herself off. "You can look now."

Pein got up from his leaning position, walking over to her. She looked up at him, bright-golden eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "What happened to the other two you were left with?" she asked, rubbing the gauze to assure secure protection from the environment until further notice.

Pein looked up at the stars, pretty neon ones that were shining brightly in the midnight sky. "I killed them quickly, knowing that I needed to get to you. We obviously won't be able to ask any questions, but the murders will end now." he said.

Konan nodded. "Good. At least **something** good came from this mission." she said.

Pein sighed, a hand on her shoulder. He didn't have to speak a word to tell her that he was terribly sorry, and that he blamed himself entirely. After a few minutes, he spoke again. "We should be leaving soon, but first, we need to inform Deidara about what has happened. Do you think you could . . .?" he asked.

Konan raised a hand, nodding. She formed a hand jutsu, and then watched as a bit of her shoulder peeled off, being replaced with more paper. She handed it to Pein, who made a hand sign of his own. A pen appeared.

Konan turned around as Pein used her back as a writing board. He wrote a note to Deidara, telling him about their mission. He then handed the paper to Konan, using a hand sign to take the pen away.

Pein watched as Konan folded the paper into a bird, and then threw it into the cold night air. It flew off, as if a regular bird. It was astounding, he thought, that she could make things do that.

_ _ _

**Deidara's POV**

I sat in an empty performance room, well, almost empty. I sat with many geisha, each anxiously biting their nails or quietly speaking with another. I yawned, only to be interrupted by a tapping coming at the room's window. There, I saw a paper bird tapping on the glass with its elegant beak.

A geisha opened the window, letting the bird fly in. It immediately came to me, sitting on the palm of my hand. I unfolded it, the life of the bird slowly draining out. There, on the paper, was a message from Pein.

_Dear Deidara,_

_Konan and I are currently on the north-eastern side of the forest surrounding the village. All six men have been killed, but I was unable to get any information out of them, because of an ordeal with Konan and I being temporarily separated. The battle is over now, but Konan has a wound in her side that we need to get attention to. This village has no medical center, so I would prefer that we go back to Amegakure. Tell the geisha that their problem is solved. _

_Pein_

_ _ _

**Konan's POV**

Deidara arrived within a few minutes, using the speed of a clay bird. Pein and I stepped onto the beast, nearly being knocked off when it took off. As cold wind hit us, we attempted to stay calm and sat down.

"Don't you think that we should take care of those bodies, un?" Deidara asked to Pein.

Pein shook his head. "Someone will find them soon enough. I've left a note attached to each body, so that the village will understand. It shouldn't be a problem." he said.

_Silence_

I shivered under my tattered kimono, rubbing my legs. It would snow soon, not tonight though. I imagined what another December in Amegakure would be like.

Pein took off his Akatsuki robe, handing it to me. I gladly accepted it, putting it on and sitting cross-legged in order to keep myself warm. I ignored the burning sensation in my side, not wanting to look weak.

_End of Chapter Quote: _

_I don't mind spending every day,_

_Out on your corner in the pouring rain,_

_Look for a girl with a broken smile,_

_Ask her if she wants to stay a while,_

_And she will be loved, _

_And she will be loved._

_-She Will Be Loved, Maroon 5_


	16. Just to Feel

**Konan's POV**

It was through that long, painful ride through the night sky that I realized something. Each time that I'd been fighting within the past few weeks, I'd had to be saved by Pein. Throughout the time that I yearned to be respected by my teammates, as well as the rest of Amegakure, I'd done nothing to prove that I'm strong.

_Unacceptable_

Was this really how weak I'd become? I sighed, holding my head in my hands. I couldn't let this go on any longer.

So, when we got back to the base, I took off Pein's cloak, handing it back to him. It was a bit blood-soaked, but he didn't care. Pein didn't mind blood, unless it came from someone as close to him as me.

I marched ahead of him, despite the fact that my wound was burning, and the gauze that I'd secured was now soaked in crimson. Pein fallowed me as I walked up to Kakuzu's door, knocking hard. "Come in." said the stitched man.

I opened the door, then stepped inside. He was simply counting money at his desk, but quickly stopped when he saw my condition: no shoes, a torn kimono, a bloodied hip, and drying tear stains. "What happened?" he asked.

I sighed. "It doesn't matter. Can you just sew it back up, please?" I asked.

Kakuzu, understanding what situation this must be, nodded. He pointed to a seat in the corner, one that was already coated all over with blood stains. This was the seat that he let **conscious **people sit in while he stitched them up.

I walked over to the seat and sat down, taking off the kimono that was simply acting as a jacket now. He pulled up a table covered with creepy things like anesthesia-filled needles, gauze, stitching threads with needles, knives, and other things. He kneeled down and began to unwrap the soggy bandages that I was wearing, just as Pein came in.

"How'd this tear?" he asked as Pein sat down in a chair beside us. I wanted to tell him that I'd be fine, and to go away, but I wasn't able to. I needed to focus on healing right now.

Pein fidgeted in his seat. "She was stabbed from behind with a kunai, and it tore most of her stitches. It made a new tear top." he answered.

Kakuzu nodded. He grabbed the anesthesia needle, preparing to inject it. I pushed his hand away. "I don't need it." I told him.

He raised an eyebrow, as did Pein. "Are you sure? This'll require a lot more stitching than the last time, and you were unconscious then." said the stitched man.

I nodded. "I'll be fine. Just get on with it." I told him. He nodded, taking out his stitching needle and a cloth. He wiped most of the blood away from my wound, and then began stitching.

The next forty minutes consisted of a silent room of ninjas. I held my head high and tried not to fidget as Kakuzu did one tiny stitch at a time, causing large bursts of pain to rush through my body. A normal woman would've gone into shock, but the Akatsuki spent lots of time training our bodies to withstand stronger amounts of pain then others.

When the surgery was over, I couldn't walk very well. Despite my asking of him not to, Pein helped me to my room. Before he could say goodnight, I closed the door and limped into my bed. I attempted to cover myself with a blanket while not scraping my side .

Around forty minutes later, a knock came at my door. I sighed, hugging a pillow on the bed. "What is it?" I asked.

It was Pein's voice that answered me. "Konan, you need to eat something." he said.

I sighed again. "Pein, I can't right now. Please, just let me sleep." I nearly whined.

The next thing I heard were footsteps going in the opposite direction of my bedroom. Knowing that I'd won this fight, I attempted to fall asleep, despite the horrible pain in my side. I dreamt of my childhood; a place that, perhaps, was more peaceful than now.

_ _ _

When I awoke, the first thing I did was head for the shower. After that, I changed into my clothing, put my hair up, and made a new paper flower, which I placed neatly on the top of my head. It was good to be wearing something that I was familiar with.

I then went into the base's kitchen and made the boys some breakfast, as well as some for myself. This time, all of the Akatsuki ate together in our dining room. It was noisy, full of arguments, laughter, and awkward chatter between different people.

When Pein spoke, the entire room grew silent. "There's a snow storm coming our way. It is expected to hit us around four-o-clock. I want you all to be prepared to clear all of the streets of Amegakure tomorrow." he spoke.

We all nodded. "Yes, leader-sama." said most of the room. A few of us addressed him as Pein, but that always depended on who was sitting where. Normally, you only spoke casually to him if you were not within a fist-range. The only person who didn't really follow this rule was me.

After breakfast, I cleaned all of the dishes, as well as the ones that the boys had eaten for dinner yesterday. I also did some laundry and other things. Everyone knew that doing chores was something that I used to keep my mind off of things.

While I was busy cleaning, I couldn't help but wonder what the snow would be like. Each year, it was as if I forgot what it was like. Would it be powdery, or would it be practically ice? Secretly, I hoped that it was nice snow.

You can imagine the small smile on my face when snow began to fall. As I peaked outside, along with a few other Akatsuki members, I was happy to see small children come out of their homes, playing around in the frozen rain. They giggled and laughed, sticking out their tongues to catch the little flakes.

_End of Chapter Quote:_

_"I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut,  
My weakness is that I care too much,  
And our scars remind us that the past is real,  
I tear my heart open just to feel."_

_-Scars, Papa Roach_


	17. We're Going Down

When you see a child laugh and smile, you can't help but do so yourself. Youth is . . . golden. We start out as children for a reason; to enjoy the simple part of life while we can. They have little worries, and all they want to do is be happy, and make others happy too.

This is why Konan loved children. She had **never** gotten that golden childhood that other children were able to have. Her last bits of youth had been drowned in tears and death, so she made up for it by making other people's lives happier. Perhaps, she would one day have children of her own.

So, Konan walked past the window and back to her room. There, she settled into a small wooden chair next to her tiny window, one where she could watch the snow fall. She grabbed a piece of pink paper, and began folding it slowly.

Making her jump a little, a knock came at her door. "Come in." she said quietly.

Konan sighed-inwardly as Pein opened the door. He silently walked in, shutting the door behind him. "May I sit with you?" he asked.

"Sure." said Konan, nodding towards another small chair in the opposite corner of the room. She watched as he walked over and grabbed it, setting it down in front of her. He sat down, watching as she folded.

"Konan, may I ask you something?" he asked.

Konan nodded. "Of course you can."

Pein sighed, sitting up in his chair. He attempted to stare at her fingers, instead of her eyes. Perhaps, that would make talking to her easier. "You're mad at me, aren't you?" he asked.

Konan's eyes grew a bit wider, and her folding stopped. "What?" she asked.

Pein sighed again, looking up into her eyes now that the folding had stopped. "Don't pretend like that, Konan. You're attitude after the mission changed drastically." he said.

Konan's eyebrows furrowed. "Perhaps I was upset that I was almost assaulted and killed!" she said, raising her voice louder than normal.

This time, Pein raised his own voice. "Konan, I **know** that you don't hold onto things that **didn't** happen. Now please, just tell me what's wrong."

Konan fidgeted in her chair, turning her head towards the window. She stared outside at a tree, which was leafless and now being buried in snow. She caressed the folded piece of paper in her hands.

"Pein," she began. "Have you noticed that the past couple of missions have always been leading to you having to save me?" she asked.

Pein's eyes grew slightly wider. Yes, that was something that Konan would despise. She wasn't weak, and hated it when she was. He nodded.

"Well," began Konan, fingering her blue locks. "You and I both know that the past couple of months have been . . . hard for me, but, don't you think that it's a bit odd that all of these people and creatures have been coming so close to **me**? In fact, all of those monsters wanted to hurt **me**, not just anybody."

Pein sighed. Yes, he had **definitely** thought about that. Konan wasn't really growing weaker, but the monsters that they were fighting were growing stronger, as well as targeting her directly. "Indeed, I've noticed that a lot. I have to admit, I'm concerned about your wellbeing in this situation." he said.

Konan stopped messing with her hair, and put her hands in her lap. She nodded. "I am too. I mean, I don't understand why these creatures would be so mad at **me**." she said.

Pein sighed. "Konan, I think it is safe to say that someone is targeting you for a specific reason." he said, taking her pale hands into his own. "Your jutsu-style is priceless, and I'm sure there are lots of people out there that would do anything to get their hands on it, even if it means using large beasts to do so."

Konan nodded, bowing her head as a sign of stress. She nestled into Pein's shoulder in an attempt to calm that sense down. "So, what do I do?" she asked.

Pein stroked her hair with his pale fingers. "I suppose we'll just have to be more careful. If our theory is correct, then the person who is sending these beasts will eventually show his or her face." he told her.

Konan sighed and nodded. "Alright." said the kunoichi. She sat upon his lap, looking out as the snow fell. It was much prettier than she'd imagined.

"Konan," called Pein.

The female sat up, looking into his eyes. "Ye-" Before she was able to finish her question, lips smashed into her own.

_ _ _

Konan had never seen firecrackers before in her life, but she'd heard of them. Apparently they were set off in China all of the time. People said that they were amazing, and that they made every bone in your body tingle.

Perhaps, this was the feeling that those people spoke of.

At first, Konan did not react. She sat, frozen in her seat, as Pein kissed her gently. It wasn't until he pulled away that she wrapped her hands around his neck, and kissed him back.

Pein reacted as well. He wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her back. What was this? Had he really developed this type of feeling for his life-long teammate?

Unfortunately, this hadn't lasted long. A knock came at the door, one which caused the two to separate. "Just a second." said Konan with a weak, almost twisted voice. She straightened out her uniform, the purple trench coat with black tights, which showed her stomach, and pulled the door open. All the while, Pein had readjusted as well.

When the door was opened, Hidan and Kakuzu stood there. They both looked annoyed and angry, each having their arms folded. "Yes?" asked Pein, coming up behind Konan. He stood a few inches taller than her.

Hidan and Kakuzu looked at one another, than back at the leader and his assistant. "We've got a problem." said Hidan, clutching his weapon.

_End of Chapter Quote:_

"_All the right friends,_

_In all the right places,_

_So yeah, we're going down,_

_All the right moves,_

_And all the right faces,_

_So yeah, we're going down."_

_-All the right moves, One Republic_


	18. No One Else

Pein's eyebrows knitted together in frustration, while Konan stood quietly and awkwardly beside him. "What problem?" he asked, his voice reassuring the frustration painted on his face.

Hidan sighed. "There's another monster attempting to get into the village, but this one is much **bigger**. It looks like a dragon, and it's using a **jutsu**. We think it's water-based. We've already got the entire fleet of Anbu and training ninja out, but they're having trouble holding it back. We need your approval to send out anyone else."

Pein cursed under his breath, his hands both forming into dangerous fists. He glanced at Konan, who was worriedly looking back at him. "It's after you," he said.

Hidan and Kakuzu both looked at each other with confused faces. Pein turned back to them. "Alright, send out the rest of the Akatsuki, then go out yourself and fight it. Tell everyone not to be shy on weapons, and **make sure **you don't let it get into the village.

The two nodded, quickly running off to inform the rest of the Akatsuki. Pein then turned to Konan, grabbing her hand and keeping it between his own. "Stay here. Be careful and don't leave the base," he told her.

Konan took her hand back. "Are you crazy?" she asked violently. She saw Pein's eyes widen at her reaction.

"What?" he asked.

Now, it was Konan's face that showed so much anger. "If it's after me, then all I'm doing is attracting it to Amegakure! I need to get out of the village and take it back into the woods!" she yelled.

Pein was angry too. He took her face in his hands. "I am **not** losing you like that Konan. It's too big of a risk. Besides, that thing won't get anywhere near Amegakure. I **promise **that I'll be back before you notice that I'm gone."

Konan's eyes were watering now. "Pein, stop it, damn it!" she shouted, swatting his hands away. She began to walk away, wiping tears from her eyes, but two hands caught her own.

"Konan-," began Pein. Suddenly, Konan's hand became paper, and it quickly flew off. Before the rest of her turned into paper, Pein did something incredibly risky; something that could only result in two things; the same words back, or a good slapping.

"I love you!"

. . .

The words ghostly echoed through the now-almost empty base. Only two people, two confused, lonely, sad people, could hear the three-word phrase that had been the fall of so many people; three words that neither of the two had ever bothered to tell anyone else, and they now repeated themselves over and over again.

Konan slowly and cautiously allowed her body to be built up again, the paper returning to her own curved body. Her back faced Pein, as she stood there, her open jaw and shocked expression unavailable to the ginger-haired man's eyes. Had she heard him correctly?

That woman, that beautiful, weakened, prideful woman, turned slowly on her heel to face that man, that handsome, strong, all-knowing man. "What?"

The word echoed through the base, only, like the last phrase, it didn't linger nearly as much. It shot out and then died within seconds, almost like it forced itself into death in order to keep from ruining whatever crazy moment was happening here.

Pein swallowed the lump in his throat, the one that always seemed to appear in this type of situation, when it liked to choke him and build up uncomfortable pressure in his throat. "I said, I love you," came his voice, slightly less strong and more caring than usual.

Konan's watering eyes now spilled out tears. Black mascara marks rushed down her face in a race to see who could tear her apart first. She wanted to say something, she needed to say something, she **had** to say something, but she couldn't. Her stomach would rather she puke, her head would rather hurt, her ankles would rather give out, and she'd rather leave.

**No!**

For the first time in quite a while, Konan refused to listen to her mind. The one that wanted her to curl up in a ball and cry until it killed her. She instead did what her heart told her to do, and performed an unspeakable alliance between two people.

So, she ended every form of displeasure and resentment that they'd known of. She untied all the knots in their relationship, and cut through the web that she'd woven around herself like a spider. "I love you too, Pein. I love your more than you could ever know, but I've got to do this. I'll come back alive, I promise. Just **believe** me, please! Goodbye."

She regretted speaking the moment her lips delivered their devilish message. Love and hate, regret and sorrow, remorse and affection, all jammed into five sentences that changed the two's lives forever. Before Pein could process what she'd told him, she jumped out the window, and used her Dance of Shikigami jutsu to grow paper wings and fly away before her tiny toes ever touched the snow. She flew away into the treetops, alone and done for.

Little did anyone else know that a stream of tiny papers dropped below, leaving a steady trail. They blended in nicely with the snow, and began to wither away because of the moisture, as well as other snowflakes covering them. Konan knew very well that these papers were useless, but how else was she to feel that she wasn't leaving Pein completely alone?

In the darkness and silence of the empty base, Pein stood there, his mind racing with dark and depressing thoughts, as well as one good one. A hole, one that might as well have been imaginary, was probably forming itself in his chest, the damned chest that didn't even belong to him.

Pein was a ghost. Not the ghost that lived in abandoned buildings and scared those who dared to enter, but a ghost in other ways. He had a body, but it wasn't **his**. He knew that whenever Konan looked at him, she didn't see **him**. She saw their dead friend, Yahiko, who had been dragged into his mess.

So now, he knew many things. He knew that he and Konan loved one another with a burning, searing, **toiling** passion. He knew that she would risk anything to save everyone. Most of all, he knew that Konan was going out to face her attacker.

And her death.

_End of Chapter Quote:_

"_You love him, he loves you, and no one else gets a say in it." –Alexa Massey_


	19. READ THIS!

Please expect an update from me soon. I'm terribly sorry for the long wait. I promise I'll have a chapter up quickly, possibly even tomorrow.


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